The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

WAR MEDALS
AND THEIR HISTORY

THE MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE DE ST. SIMON

Newly translated and edited by Francis Arkwright.

In six volumes, demy 8vo, handsomely bound in cloth gilt, with illustrations in photogravure, 10/6 net each volume.

NAPOLEON IN EXILE AT ELBA (1814-1815)

By Norwood Young, Author of "The Growth of Napoleon," etc.; with a chapter on the Iconography by A. M. Broadley.

Demy 8vo, cloth gilt, with coloured frontispiece and 50 illustrations (from the collection of A. M. Broadley), 21/- net.

NAPOLEON IN EXILE AT ST. HELENA (1815-1821)

By Norwood Young, Author of "Napoleon in Exile at Elba," "The Story of Rome," etc.

In two volumes, demy 8vo, cloth gilt, with two coloured frontispieces and one hundred illustrations (from the collection of A. M. Broadley), 32/- net.

JULIETTE DROUET'S LOVE-LETTERS TO VICTOR HUGO

Edited with a Biography of Juliette Drouet by Louis Guimbaud; translated by Lady Theodora Davidson.

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THE NEW FRANCE

Being a History from the Accession of Louis Philippe in 1830 to the Revolution of 1848, with Appendices.

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MEDALS AWARDED TO SERGEANT-MAJOR, LATER QUARTERMASTER, CHARLES WOODEN, 17TH LANCERS, ONE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.

Frontispiece

WAR MEDALS
AND THEIR HISTORY

BY
W. AUGUSTUS STEWARD
OFFICIER D'ACADÉMIE
AUTHOR OF "FROM THE BREASTS OF THE BRAVE," ETC.

With 258 Illustrations
in Half-tone and Line

LONDON
STANLEY PAUL & CO
31 ESSEX STREET STRAND W.C.

First published in 1915

FOREWORDS

If any excuse were needed for penning this, it is to be found in the exceeding interest which was taken in my monograph "Badges of the Brave." Indeed, many readers have requested me to deal, at greater length, with a subject which not only opens up a great historical vista and awakens national sentiment, but, incidentally, serves an educational mission to those who collect and those who sell the metallic records of many a hard-fought field, which, when collated, form an imperishable record of our island story.

The War Medal is a comparatively modern institution, otherwise we might have learned the names of the common folk who fought so tenaciously in the old wars, as, for instance, the Welsh infantry and Irish soldiers who, with the English bowmen, comprised the army of 30,000 which at Crécy routed an army of 120,000; the followers of the Black Prince who captured the impetuous King John at Poitiers, or the English archers whose deadly volleys made such havoc at Agincourt, on that fateful day in October nearly five hundred years ago; the brave seamen who, under Lord Howard, Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher, fought the "Invincible Armada"; and those who, under Raleigh, vigorously pursued the Spaniards on the high seas. We might have learned something of the men who composed the Royal Scots and the 18th Royal Irish, and helped to vindicate the reputation of the British soldier at Namur, and covered themselves with glory at Blenheim; the gallant Coldstream Guards who did such excellent service under Marlborough at Oudenarde and Malplaquet, as well as the Gloucesters and Worcesters who fought so well at Ramillies, or the Royal Welsh Fusiliers who served under George II at Dettingen.

When, however, war medals were designed for distribution among successful combatants, a means of decorating surviving soldiers and sailors was established, and at the same time a sentimental and substantial record of a man's labours for his country upon the field of battle. So that, if the veterans of Drake's historic fleet, or Marlborough's dauntless soldiers, were not possessed of badges to distinguish them from the soldiers of industry, we, at any rate, may hold in our hands the medals which were awarded to those who served the immortal Nelson, and be proud to possess the medals which shone upon the breasts of our great grandparents who defied the Conqueror of Europe on that memorable Sunday, and made his sun to set upon the battlefield of Waterloo.

Have you listened to the smart British veteran as he explains the disposition of the troops on that historic occasion—how the French cavalry "foamed itself away" in the face of those steady British squares? How he makes the Welsh blood tingle as he records the glorious deeds and death of Sir Thomas Picton, and the Scotsman's dance through his veins as he explains how, with the cold steel of their terrible bayonets, the Black Watch at Quatre Bras, and its second battalion, the Perthshires, at Waterloo, waited for the charge of the cuirassiers; and how Sergeant Ewart of the Scots Greys captured the Eagle of the 45th, and then, with the rest of the Union Brigade (the English Royals and the Irish Inniskillings), crashed through the ranks of the faltering French, and scattered the veterans of Napoleon's army! Have you seen how the mention of the Guards holding the Château of Hougomont brightens the eye of the Englishman? Yes! Then just think what it is to touch and possess the solid proofs of the deeds that those men did, and to feel that you have in your possession the only recompense those brave and daring men received from a grateful country.

Historical Value.—My collection of medals enables me to cover over a hundred years of history; takes me back to the stirring times when men yet met face to face in the Peninsula and at Waterloo; to the men who founded our Indian Empire. It enables me to keep in touch with sailors who fought in the battle of the Nile, at Trafalgar, and at Navarino, that last of all naval battles in which we British took part—our allies were then the French and Russians—until our battleships met those of the Germans in the great war now waging. It reminds me of the horsemen who made the world wonder ere, with deathless glory, they passed their little day, and of that "thin red line" of Scots, whose cool daring at Balaklava has only been bedimmed by the gallantry of the Light Brigade. It enables me to think more intimately of the men I know who faced the Russians in that terrible winter, and then, like heroes, plodded through the inferno of the Mutiny. It brings back vividly to my mind the days of the Zulu War and the heroism of Rorke's Drift. It reminds me of the daring march to Kandahar and the frontier wars so necessary to hold back the turbulent human surf which beats on the shores of our great Eastern Empire. It enables me to keep closely in touch with those who so quickly dealt with Arabi Pasha and later faced the fanatical hordes of the Mahdi; the young men of this generation who fought so stubbornly at the Modder River, and who stormed the Tugela Heights. It enables me to keep in touch with those "handymen" and scouts on the fringe of Empire who in Somaliland, Gambia, Benin, Matabeleland, and Bechuanaland uphold the dignity of Britain.

We sometimes read of a man or woman who has shaken hands, sixty, seventy, or eighty years ago, with some great person, or some one whose deeds have made him or her a name in history. The possession of war medals and decorations, or of medals of honour gained by brave deeds in time of peace, brings us in close touch with those who honourably gained them. That is an aspect of medal-collecting which appeals to me, and should to every one who admires pluck, grit, daring, and the willingness to personal sacrifice which these badges of the brave denote.

Finally there is an exceptional feature in the collection of war medals which will also appeal, for, as Sir James Yoxall has pointed out in "The A B C About Collecting," the collector of war medals "has concentrated upon a line which can be made complete." If, however, his inclinations or his means will not permit of the acquisition of a complete set he may specialise in either Military or Naval Medals, or those awarded to special regiments or ships, or to men of his own name, or those earned by boys or nurses.

In order to facilitate the search for bars issued with the various medals, the names inscribed thereon are printed in the text in small capitals: these, of course, must not be taken as representing the type used on the official bars; reference must be made to the illustrations, which, being the same size as the original medals, will materially assist the reader in recognising official lettering.

In conclusion I have to express my sincere thanks for the help afforded and the deep interest taken in my book by Dr. A. A. Payne, whose kindness in providing photographs of examples in his unique collection has enabled me to illustrate many interesting and rare medals; to G. K. J. and F. W. G. for clerical assistance; G. T. F. for sketches; and to Messrs. Heywood & Co., Ltd., for the loan of several of the blocks of medals which had been used in monographs I had written for publication by them.

W. Augustus Steward.

London.

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

MEDALLION OF EARL OF ESSEX.

SIR THOMAS FAIRFAX MILITARY AWARD, 1645.

BADGE OF CHARLES I AND HENRIETTA.

ROYALIST BADGES.

WAR MEDALS AND THEIR HISTORY

Since the days when woad-clad Britons faced Cæsar's legions we have had a military system, but it was not, so far as we have any substantial evidence, until the days of Elizabeth that personal decorations were awarded for military service, or distinction on the seas or in the field.

In the Middle Ages, a warrior, knighted on the field of battle, was permitted to use a square instead of a swallow-tailed pennon, as a knight's banneret, and to use a war cry, from whence we may trace the origin of the mottoes used with Coats of Arms.

Later, after Sedgemoor (July 6th, 1685), recognition of the lower ranks is recorded in the bestowal of a gratuity of £40 to Sergeant Weems of the 1st Royals (now the Royal Scots) for serving the great guns in an emergency; but these types of award hardly provided that personal note or record which the war medal, as we know it, gives to the recipient.

It is fitting that the Navy, which had existed for centuries prior to the establishment of a standing Army, should take precedence in the bestowal of awards for active service; the rout of the Spanish Armada—in 1588—probably gave the incentive to Good Queen Bess to commemorate the auspicious occasion by the issue of medals in gold and silver, and we may reasonably assume that they were given for personal decoration to the leading officers engaged in the defeat of the Armada, or that the recipients thought that by wearing them they would show respect to the Queen, and thus established the custom of wearing medals, presented by the Sovereign for War Service. A specimen of these medals, with rings and chain for suspension, probably from the neck, is to be seen in the British Museum.

Just over fifty years later, Charles I established the principle for the Army, and thus strengthened the precedent, which was gradually extended, until now every boy and man who has acquitted himself creditably in a campaign, and the nurses also, may rightly claim the medallic recognition and record of their principal services by land or by sea.

Elizabethan Naval Medals.—A silver medal, with an attached half-ring loop for suspension, was apparently given by Queen Elizabeth for naval achievements; it is oval, and bears on the obverse a bust of the Queen, and on the reverse a bay tree on an island, with the legend impressed thereon NON · IPSA · PERICVLA · TANGVNT. This is a splendidly decorative medal. The "Ark-in-Flood medal," though hardly so well designed or so delicately cut, is characteristic. It is generally stated that it was given to the principal officers who fought against the Armada, or to commanders who had distinguished themselves at sea. The medal was struck in gold and silver and measured 2 in. by 1¾ in., and was suspended by a fancy loop. On the obverse of the medal is a bust of the Queen facing to the left, with the inscription ELIZABETH ◆ D ◆ G ◆ ANGLIE ◆ F ◆ ET ◆ H ◆ REG.

These, like another medal given by Elizabeth, we may reasonably suppose to have been struck to commemorate the defeat of the "Invincible Armada." James I issued a similar medal in gold and silver, with a ring for suspension. On the reverse is the Ark upon the waters, having above it, like Elizabeth's medal, the symbol indicative of Divine protection, surrounded by the motto STET · SALVUS · IN · VNDIS. There are two kinds of obverse to this medal, one with a portrait bust of the King in armour with a ruff, and the legend FIDEI DEFENSOR encircling the head. This apparently was for military officers, and the one bearing an obverse with the King's head surmounted by a broad-brimmed hat, for his courtiers. Nothing, however, can be stated with any certainty on this point. The motto on the obverse is JACOBUS · D · G · MAG · BRITA · FR · ET · HI · REX; and on the reverse an ark within an oval band containing the motto PER VNDUS SEVAS TRANQVILLA.

Charles I establishes Military Medals.—Having indicated the creation of the campaign or active-service medal for the Navy, we will leave the consideration of naval medals for the section which will be reserved for that purpose and deal with the listing of the military badges of the brave, commencing with those which were struck in the days of Charles I, who established medals for military prowess.

They were, according to the order of the Court, held at Oxford on the 18th day of May, 1643, "to be delivered to wear on the breast of every man who shall be certified under the hands of their commander-in-chief to have done us faithful service in the forlorn hope." These medals were only, it will be seen, given for very distinguished conduct in the field. One bore the Royal image on the obverse, and Prince Charles on the reverse; and the other the bust of Charles on the obverse, with the inscription CAROLUS · D · G · MAG · BRI · FR · ET · HIB · REX, and on the reverse the Royal Arms with the Garter bearing the motto HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE. Both medals were silver and oval in shape, the sizes being respectively 1·7 in. by 1·3 in. and 1·5 in. by 1·2 in.

First Distinguished-conduct Medal.—The first record we have of the bestowal of a medal for conspicuous conduct in the field is in the award made to an Irish commander who distinguished himself at the Battle of Edge Hill—the first battle of the Civil War, fought on October 23rd, 1642—by the recovery of a Royal standard, and certain military accessories. The gallant soldier, who became Sir Robert Welch, was subsequently presented with an oval gold medal specially cut to the King's orders by the Royal "graver of seals and medals," Thomas Rawlins. The King's instructions, given on the 1st day of June 1643, were to the effect that the medal was to have on the obverse his own figure, and that of his son Prince Charles, and on the reverse a copy of the banner Welch saved at Edge Hill, together with the legend PER REGALE MANDATVM CAROLI REGIS HOC ASSIGNATVR ROBERTO WELCH MILITI. Encircling the busts of the King and his son was the inscription CAROLUS REX MAGNAE BRITANNIAE, FRANCAIE ET HIBERNIAE CAROLUS PRINCEPS. The medal, oval in form, was 1·7 in. by 1·5 in.

The First Campaign Medal.—The Dunbar medal—by the famous medallist, Thomas Simon, was struck in two sizes, in gold (1 in. by ·85 in.) and silver (1·35 in. by 1·15 in.), for presentation to officers and men who "did this excellent service," and, to use the quaint words of Oliver Cromwell, in "commemoration of that great mercie at Dunbar" where the Scots Royalists were defeated on September 3rd, 1650. Although these medals, which were worn suspended by a chain from the neck, cannot be regarded as campaign medals in the modern sense, they have the unique distinction of being the first of which there is a reliable record, indicating that the common soldiery and officers equally participated in the receipt of a military decoration for war service. This issue was exceptional, for throughout the existence of the Commonwealth, although medals were struck to commemorate naval victories over the Dutch, they were given to officers only, and during succeeding years this appears to have been the rule also until the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the custom was established to bestow upon all soldiers, from Field Marshal to drummer-boy, the same medal; that was after the battle of Waterloo, June 18th, 1815.

THE DUNBAR MEDAL, 1650.

The Dunbar medal, as the illustration facing page [1] shows, bears on the obverse the bust of Cromwell in armour with the inscription in a semicircle above WORD AT
DVNBAR·THE LORD OF HOSTSSEPTEM
Y3·1650. On the reverse is quaintly depicted the House of Commons, which referred to the Committee of the Army the consideration of a grant of medals to officers and men who had served in Scotland, and to "set the proportions and the values of them, and their number, and present the estimate to the House." Bronze medals exist, but the reverses of these are plain, despite Cromwell's request that an Army should form the subject, which was only acceded to in so far as the legend is concerned, and a slight suggestion of a fight behind the bust of the Lord Protector.

The Cromwellians voted the sum of £100 to provide a gold medal, for distinguished service, and chain for presentation to Colonel Mackworth, who, as governor of Shrewsbury, had refused to surrender the castle to the Royalists. Of Blake's medal and the other decorations for maritime warfare I shall treat in the section devoted to naval medals, but I might here remark upon the fact that in those Puritan days the seaman appears to have been as much a "handyman" as in modern times, for, like the present-day marine and seaman, he fought Per Mare et per Terram; at any rate Generals Blake and Monk did, for they received naval medals or awards from the Commonwealth for their services against the Dutch.

Various medals were struck during the Civil War by the Royalists, and engravings are extant illustrating medals variously bearing on the obverse the portraits of King Charles I, Prince Rupert, or one or other of his leading supporters and generals, including the Earl of Essex and Sir Thomas Fairfax. The reverse bore either a representation of the Parliament or the arms of the person depicted on the obverse. The victory of Naseby (June 14th, 1645) is commemorated by a silver medal—gilt—with ring for suspension, upon the obverse of which is a portrait of Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the inscription THO : FAIRFAX MILES MILIT PARL DUX GEN, and on the reverse with a circle meruisti and POST HAEC MELIORA 1645.

During the reign of Charles II (when the foundation of a standing army was established) and James II, there is no record of military medals being struck, although during the reign of the former, as I shall presently describe, naval medals were issued to commemorate victories over the Dutch, and in the reign of the latter a large silver medal, apparently for presentation to naval men, was issued.

During the reign of William III and Mary, naval medals only were struck, and, as far as is known, only one such during the reign of Queen Anne, for there is no record of any being issued for the famous battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, and Oudenarde (where, as "Prince Elector of Hanover," George III distinguished himself), or the sanguinary battle of Malplaquet, although commemorative medals were struck.

The reign of George I is also barren of military campaign medals, while there were apparently only two issued during the reign of George II—one for the Battle of Culloden (April 16th, 1746), where the Duke of Cumberland well earned the sobriquet of "The Butcher," and the other for the taking of Louisbourg, in Canada (July 27th, 1758), where, after a seven weeks' siege, the French garrison surrendered to General Amherst.

The Culloden Medals.—The Culloden medal was struck to commemorate the crushing of the Jacobite rebellion at the battle of Culloden on April 16th, 1746, when the Scots under Prince Charles Edward and Lord George Murray were defeated by the Duke of Cumberland. The medal, oval in shape, and 1·75 in. by 1·45 in. in size, had on the obverse the head of "The Butcher," with CUMBERLAND above, surrounded by an ornate ribbed border and suspender; a nude figure of Apollo, with a wounded dragon at his feet, occupies the ground of the reverse, with the words ACTUM EST ILICET PERIIT, and in the exergue PRŒL · COLOD · AP · XVI · MDCCXLVI. The medal, by Richard Yeo, was struck in gold, silver, and bronze, and was suspended from a red ribbon with green edges. This is a very rare medal, and few specimens now exist, and it is assumed it was only given to regimental commanders, although as Mr. Grueber, of the British Museum, pointed out there is no evidence of an order that it should be granted.

In the British Museum there is a bronze medal commemorating this same battle; it is possible that it was intended to be worn as a war medal. The striking of the medal is with a scroll suspender at the top with a hole, which leaves no doubt that it was intended for suspension by means of a small ring. There is a small ornamental scroll at the bottom. It is plain on the reverse, the obverse being occupied by the equestrian effigy of the Duke of Cumberland, with the date 1746 in the exergue, and above the group GUL · AUG · DUX · CUM · TERROR · REB.

Capture of Louisbourg.—For the siege of Louisbourg, gold and silver medals were struck for presentation to those officers who had been conspicuous by their gallantry. In gold and silver the medal, 1·7 in. in diameter, bears on the reverse a representation of the bombardment, with LOVISBOVRG TAKEN MDCCLVII, and on the obverse a globe resting upon a figure symbolic of France (some say a fury) dropping fleur-de-lis, and pointing to boats at sea. On the globe, supported by a British Grenadier and a sailor, are the words CANADA and AMERICA, and above all the figure of Fame, with laurel wreath and trumpet flying in front of the Union Jack, and a scroll with the words PARITER IN BELLA; the ribbon for this is half brownish-yellow and light purple. This rare medal is, however, generally placed in the category of historic medals. It is by Thomas Pingo, who was responsible for a series of historical medals, including those commemorating the capture of Goree, December 29th, 1758, the capture of Guadaloupe, 1759, the battle of Minden, July 31st, 1759, and the capture of Quebec (where Wolfe lost his life), September 15th, 1759.

Carib War.—For the Carib War in 1773 the Legislative Assembly of the island of St. Vincent ordered that a medal of silver should be awarded to those who had taken part in suppressing the rebellion which had broken out among the natives. The medal bore upon the obverse the bust of George III in high relief, his hair being tied with ribbon, as was the fashion of the times, but represented as clad in armour. Above the bust is the legend GEORGIVS III MB REX. On the reverse Britannia, characteristically helmeted and resting her left hand upon the Union Shield, offers to a beaten Carib an olive branch in token of peace, while the vanquished is represented as having surrendered his arms, which lie at the feet of Britannia. In the exergue is the date MDCCLXXIII, and above the group PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO ST. VINCENTS. The medal, 2³∕₂₀ in. in diameter, was cast and chased, and bears on the truncation of the King's head the name of the modeller—C. M. Moser. It was worn suspended from the neck by a red ribbon. Among the regular regiments taking part in the campaign were the 14th, 31st, and 70th.

Isle of St. Vincent.—Another medal was awarded for service in the island of St. Vincent. It was given to the militia officers and non-commissioned officers who commanded about five hundred natives—slaves—who helped in the campaign against the Caribs and French troops in 1795. On the obverse of this medal, which was cast and chased in silver and bronze, is a winged figure of Victory, with her right foot planted upon the body of a defeated Carib, who has dropped his musket at her feet. While in her left hand she bears a palm branch, she shows her determination by grasping a sword in the right. Above is the inscription ST. VINCENTS BLACK CORPS; on the reverse is a representation of a black soldier standing at attention with his musket, with fixed bayonet, resting on the ground, encircled by the legend BOLD LOCAL OBEDIENT. The whole of the lettering is in a square type of Roman capitals. This medal is 1⅞ in. diameter.

The next in order we have to consider are those issued by the Honourable East India Company to the officers and men who took part in the Deccan and Mysore Campaigns, between 1778 and 1792, against Hyder Ali and his son Tippoo Sahib, but these, despite the significant character of the wars, were not official or Sovereign awards, and were given to the Company's troops only. Previous to this, the Company had awarded a medal (in 1766) to native officers who had quelled a mutiny among European troops at Morighyr.

The Deccan Medal.—The medal for Guzerat—1778-84—and Carnatic—1780-84—commonly known as the "Deccan" medal, was issued to native troops only, and, as Dr. Payne states, is the earliest Anglo-Indian medal to be awarded to all ranks. On the obverse Britannia is represented resting upon a trophy of arms, and holding a wreath in the right hand, which she extends toward a fort over which the British flag is flying. On the reverse is an inscription in Persian, which explains that the medal is awarded by the Government of Calcutta to commemorate "the excellent services of the brave; year of the Hegira 1199, A.D. 1784." The medal, issued in two sizes, was intended to be worn suspended from the neck by a yellow cord run through a metal loop. It was issued in gold to Subadars,[1] silver gilt to Jemadars[2] and other native officers, and of an inferior character to those who did not hold warrant rank and the ordinary sepoy. A specimen of the smaller medal, in fine condition, has sold for between £7 10s. and £8 5s.

[1] Infantry captain.

[2] Jemadar—of the same standing as a lieutenant in the Cavalry or Infantry, or the Sappers or Miners.

Mysore Campaign.—During 1791 and 1793 the native troops were engaged against Tippoo Sultaun in Mysore, during which campaign the city of Bangalore was captured in an exceedingly brilliant manner, thanks to the pluck and daring of British officers. On the 1st day of April 1793 it was decided by an Order in Council to give to the successful troops a medal as a reward for their services. As in the case of the forementioned medal, two grades and sizes were issued. The gold ones were all 1¹³∕₂₀ in. in diameter, but a smaller silver one was issued 1½ in diameter, and while some of the medals have only two cannon-balls at the foot of the sepoy, five are found on others. This is probably due to different men cutting the replicas of the dies, which may have cracked in the striking. On the obverse of the medal a sepoy, standing with his left foot on a dismounted cannon, grasps the British colours in his right hand and the Mysore flag reversed in his left; the background shows the fort of Seringapatam in the distance. On the reverse is the wording, For Services in Mysore a.d. 1791-1792, encircled by laurel branches, round which is arranged a Persian inscription to the effect that the medal is "a token of the bravery of the troops of the English Government in the war in Mysore in the year of the Hegira 1205-1206." Like the "Deccan" medal, this was intended for suspension from the neck by means of a yellow cord running through a loop. The Subadars were granted gold medals, the Jemadars and Serrangs silver medals—afterwards gilt—and the non-commissioned officers and men silver medals of less value. The order for striking these medals was given to Mr. Mair, a Calcutta silversmith.

Many Counterfeits.—This is a poor class of medal, and doubtless the ease with which it lent itself to the counterfeiter is responsible for the number of cast fakes which one meets with. These, however, are easily detected: in casting, "sandholes" cause little grains on the surface, while dust on the mould causes holes in the cast; the granulations need removing and the holes closing up by the chasing tool, but the "faker" was invariably careless, and the counterfeits may be distinguished from the genuine medals by the presence of grains on or small holes in the surface, and the fact that the "fakes," having been cast from an original, are slightly smaller, owing to the "shrinkage" which always takes place in casting. This shrinkage is responsible for practically closing up the space between the head of the flagstaff and the rim of the medal. The larger medal is 1¾ in. and the smaller 1½ in. in diameter. A fine specimen of the larger medal has fetched as much as £18.

Capture of Ceylon.—For capturing Ceylon from the Dutch in 1795-6 it was decided by an Order in Council, dated Fort William, May 15th, 1807, to confer a medal upon the Gun Lascars only who served with the European Artillery. Only two gold medals were struck and presented to native officers, and one hundred and twenty to other ranks. Like those previously mentioned, the medals were intended for suspension from the neck by a yellow cord. One and nine-tenths inch in diameter, this is one of the simplest medals ever issued, and the only one in which lettering suffices for decoration. On the obverse is the inscription, For Services on the Island of Ceylon A.D. 1795/6, and on the reverse, in Persian, "This medal was given by way of acknowledgment of services in Ceylon in the year of the Hegira 1209-1210."

Siege of Seringapatam.—The feeling of animosity on the part of Tippoo Sahib, the son of Hyder Ali, fed by the fact that the Directory in France had designs against British India, led him to make preparations for another conflict, but the Earl of Mornington, who afterwards became Marquis of Wellesley, smartly marched an army into Tippoo Sahib's territories, and on March 27th, 1799, advanced in battle array against the enemy, who, after losing about 10,000 men, retreated in disorder, followed by the British Army, which, pressing on to Seringapatam, reached the city on April 5th, and commenced the famous siege, which terminated on May 8th. Among the slain was Tippoo Sahib, and the British in a magnanimous manner interred his remains in the fine mausoleum which he had caused to be built over the resting-place of his father. Twenty-two officers were killed and 45 wounded; 181 men killed, 624 wounded, and 22 missing; 119 native soldiers killed, 420 wounded, and 100 missing.

The European regiments that took part in the storming were the 33rd Regiment (now the 1st Batt. West Riding Regiment), which, led by the Hon. Arthur Wellesley (afterwards Duke of Wellington), distinguished itself on the road to Seringapatam—on March 27th—by standing its ground in the face of an advancing body of 2,000 men, and then, after firing a volley, boldly charging upon them, and with the aid of cavalry driving them off. The other European regiments included the 19th and 22nd (late 25th) Light Dragoons (both disbanded), the 12th and 73rd Regiments, 74th Highlanders, 75th and 77th Regiments, the Scots Brigade, afterwards the 94th (disbanded in 1818), and the 103rd. For these excellent services the Honourable East India Company issued a medal, of which two kinds exist—one produced in the Soho Mint near Birmingham, the famous place established by Matthew Boulton, and the other from dies cut in Calcutta after strikings of the Soho medal.

HONOURABLE EAST INDIA CO.'S MEDAL FOR SERINGAPATAM, 1799.

HONOURABLE EAST INDIA CO.'S MEDAL FOR EGYPT, 1801.

Variety of Medals Struck.—Quite a variety were struck. Gold for His Majesty, the Governor-General of India—Lord Melville, the Marquis Cornwallis, certain Nizams, Nabobs, and Rajahs, the Commander-in-Chief and the General Officers on the Staff, and one for the Oriental Museum. (£15 to £20 has been paid at auction for one of these medals.) Silver gilt for the members of the Council of the three Presidencies, the Residents of Hyderabad and Poona, the Field Officers and the General Staff on Service. (£8 has been given for a fine specimen of the gilt medal.) Silver medals were awarded to the captains and subalterns. (As much as £5 and £6 has been paid for one of these.) Bronze for non-commissioned officers of the British Army, and tin for privates. The medals were issued unnamed in 1808, but it was not until August 29th, 1815, that the members of the British Army were permitted to wear them; issued without suspenders, this permission led to the addition of loops and suspenders, and the adoption of a ribbon for suspension, and while some used a dark orange ribbon suggestive of a tiger's skin, in allusion to the victory of the British arms over Tippoo Sahib—"the conquering tiger of God"—the claret-coloured ribbon with dark blue edges, as used with the Peninsular gold medals and crosses and the Waterloo medal, was the recognised ribbon, although some officers wore a watered yellow ribbon.

To the native commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers, sergeants, bandsmen, and trumpeters of European corps, and to others who might be ranked as non-commissioned officers, the bronze medal was also granted, while the tin medals were given to corporals, gunners, and European privates, and to native doctors, guides, and general-utility men with the Army.

The Soho Medal.—This, 1¹∕₉ in. in diameter, bears on the obverse a representation of the British lion, with a defeated tiger beneath him, a long pennon flying above, and held erect by the lion's tail, bearing near the staff the Union Jack, and in Arabic the defeated Tippoo's title, "Assad Allah El Ghaleb," and in the exergue IV MAY MDCCXCIX. On the reverse is represented the storming of Seringapatam, with the meridian sun indicating that when the sun was in its full glory the successful assault was made and glorious victory was won. Underneath is the legend in Persian, "Seringapatam God conquered 28th day of the month Zikadah, 1213 of the Hegira." The Soho mint was responsible for the striking, in the years 1801 and 1802, of 30 gold, 185 silver gilt, 5,000 bronze, and 45,000 tin medals.

The Calcutta Medal.—Like the medal of Mysore, there are two varieties of the Seringapatam medal owing to mistakes on the part of the die-cutters. The sun at its meridian, a significant and symbolic feature in the Soho medal, is omitted in that struck at Calcutta; moreover the medal is not so large, being only 1⅛ in. in diameter, is thinner, has a loop for suspension by a cord, and, what is very important, of inferior craftsmanship—so that in considering the value or authenticity of a medal for the famous battle of Seringapatam the collector has to remember several important features, since while he may hold in his hand two medals differing somewhat in size, design, and quality of craftsmanship, he may find that both are perfectly genuine. The Calcutta mint issued 83 gold and 2,786 silver medals, so that the collector must carefully consider what he is about when a silver-gilt medal is offered for sale; only 185 bona-fide medals of that quality were issued, but of the 850 British-struck silver medals many have been gilded to simulate the rarer medals, while a number of the smaller and inferior Indian-struck medals have been gilded and offered as original gilts. Despite the large number of tin medals issued (45,000), I have seen many fetch £1 each at auction. No bronze or tin medals were struck from the Calcutta die.

Egypt, 1801.—Napoleon, with an eye upon our Indian Empire, invaded Egypt in order "to conquer the East and take Europe in the rear." Fortunate in eluding Nelson, who was cruising in the Mediterranean, he managed to disembark his troops, but he had to suffer the humiliation of Nelson's brilliant victory in the Bay of Aboukir (on August 1st, 1798), by which he lost practically all his fleet. This famous sea battle is known as the Battle of the Nile. It left Napoleon stranded in Egypt with his army, which he marched across the desert. He stormed Jaffa and besieged Acre for two months, but Sir Sidney Smith and his garrison of British and Turks not only held the fort, but in so doing caused the loss of 4,000 of Napoleon's finest troops. Falling back on Egypt he found disquieting news awaiting him, so he returned to France and proclaimed himself First Consul. Meanwhile his troops had to prepare to meet the British expedition which, under Lieutenant-General Abercromby, had been dispatched to evict them. The total British force which landed under the brilliant but fated General was 15,330 men, but of these, it is stated, only about 12,000 could be counted as fighting units. The French had made formidable preparations to resist the disembarkation, and the seamen had to row the troops ashore under a hail of round shot, grape and shell. Many a boat-load of brave men was sent to the bottom, but those who reached the shore rushed through the surf, formed line, fixed bayonets, and, led by Major-General Moore (who found a soldier's grave at Coruña), charged up the slope, drove out the French battalions, and after withstanding a charge of cavalry, compelled the French to retreat along the road to Alexandria, whither they were ultimately pursued by the British army, many daring exploits taking place en route. One is particularly noteworthy. The Perthshire Regiment, wearing at the time brass helmets, were mistaken by the French cavalry for dragoons, and the Scots were consequently charged in an impetuous manner by them. The affair, which took place at Mandora, was a precursor of the brilliant action of the 93rd Highlanders at Balaklava, for, standing firm, the Perthshires coolly awaited their mounted adversaries until they were within fifty yards of them, and then, firing a volley, caused the main body to wheel off by their left and retreat in confusion. Sir Ralph Abercromby narrowly escaped death in this affair, but, as Archibald Forbes states, he "was rescued by the devoted bravery of the Perthshire Regiment."

The Highlanders at Alexandria, 1801.—At the battle of Alexandria, March 21st, 1801, Generals Moore and Oakes were wounded, but continued to lead their men, who did prodigies of valour ere the French retreated to their entrenchments before Alexandria. Abercromby had, during the day, kept close to the Highlanders, whom he cheered with the words, "My brave Highlanders, remember your country! Remember your forefathers!" ere ordering them to pursue the enemy; but having sent his staff officers on different missions, he was left a solitary and conspicuous figure. A couple of French cavalrymen, seizing the opportunity, endeavoured to capture the gallant Commander-in-Chief, but, refusing to yield, he made a brilliant fight until a corporal of the 42nd (Black Watch) ran up and shot one of the men, when the other made off, but was bayoneted by another of the 42nd. Meanwhile it was noticed that he dismounted with difficulty from his horse, but as he exhibited no sign of suffering it was not until blood was observed on his thigh that any idea was entertained that he had been wounded. It was then found that a musket-ball had lodged in his hip joint. This caused his death on board the Foudroyant on March 28th, 1801. General Hutchinson, who took command of the force, ultimately invested Alexandria, and after a three days' armistice the terms of capitulation were signed, and arrangements made for the departure of the armies. The French, who were commanded by General Menou, left Egypt with about 27,500 men, and the British with 22,350.

H.E.I. Co.'s Medal for Egypt.—The Military and General Service medal, with bar for Egypt, was not issued to the survivors of the series of strenuous fights which concluded with the capitulation of Alexandria, until February 11th, 1850, almost forty-nine years after. Meanwhile a large number of the army of about 5,000 men, which sailed from India under the command of Sir David Baird, had received a special medal from the Honourable East India Company, which, by a General Order, was granted on July 31st, 1802. The promptitude of the Company in rewarding soldiers stands out in pleasant relief against the thoughtlessness or procrastination of the home Government. This army of 2,000 Europeans, 2,000 sepoys, and 400 artillerymen, marched across the Nubian Desert to Keneh, and after descending the Nile encamped at Rosetta, but saw no fighting. The British regiments which formed part of the army to cross the desert were the 10th and 61st Regiments of foot, and detachments of the 80th, 86th, and 88th.

PENINSULAR GOLD MEDAL.

Awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Alex. Gordon, 83rd Foot, who was killed at Talavera.

Silver medals, 1¹∕₉ in. in diameter, were struck for about half the force, and sixteen gold ones. The medal, illustrated facing page [12], bears on the obverse an energetic figure of a sepoy, carrying the Union Jack, with a background suggesting a camp. In the exergue is a Persian inscription to the effect that the medal is presented to commemorate the defeat of the French armies in Egypt by the bravery and ability of the victorious army of England. On the reverse, suggestive of the transportation of troops, is a ship in full sail, and on the land which forms the background the Pyramids and an obelisk indicative of Egypt. In the exergue is the date MDCCCI.

Order of the Crescent.—Selim III presented a series of gold medals to the officers who took part in the operations. These varied in weight and size, some being set with diamonds, while a few of the larger ones were enamelled crimson in the centre. The medals, being struck from different dies, have the crescent either on the right or left of the star. The principal naval and military officers received medals measuring 2¹∕₁₀ in. in diameter; those ranking next received a lighter and smaller medal, 1⁹∕₁₀ in. in diameter; while a third medal, given to captains, was still lighter and only 1⅞ in. in diameter. The non-commissioned officers received a silver medal 1⁴∕₁₀ in. in diameter, so that one may gauge by the size the rank of the officer who received it. The medals were suspended from an orange-coloured ribbon by means of a hook and chain. I have seen specimens without attachment for suspension.

The army which landed under Abercromby included the 1st Battalion of the Coldstreams and the Scots Guards; the 1st Royal Scots; 2nd Queen's Royal; 8th King's; 13th, 18th Royal Irish; 19th, 28th; 23rd Welsh Fusiliers; 28th, 30th, 40th (flank companies), 42nd Black Watch; 44th, 50th, 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 54th, 58th; 79th Cameron Highlanders; 89th, 90th Perthshire Light Infantry; 92nd Gordon Highlanders; one squadron of the 11th Light Dragoons; the 12th and 26th Light Dragoons (unmounted); Artillery and Engineers; also Dillon's and De Rolle's Regiments; a detachment of Baron Hompesch's mounted riflemen, and the Corsican Rangers. The army was further strengthened by a squadron of the 8th Light Dragoons; the 10th and 27th Foot; 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 89th, and the Queen's German Regiment.

The 22nd Light Dragoons; two battalions of the 20th Regiment; the 24th, 25th, and 26th Regiments; as well as the Ancient Irish Fencibles, the Chasseurs Britanniques, and De Watteville's Regiment, did not reach Egypt until July 1801. The medals of men attached to the regiments which first landed and drove the French off to Alexandria, following up their retreat, and particularly those who took part in the most furious fighting, are the most sought after; those of the Black Watch and Gloucesters being especially and rightly valued, likewise those of the 8th and 13th Foot.

The Red Heckle.—There is even now a common notion that the Black Watch (which lost 54 officers and men killed, and 262 wounded) had its white heckle changed to red because of its prowess against the French "Invincible Legion" in the historic ruins outside Alexandria, where, it is alleged, the heckles in the fallen bonnets became dyed with the blood of the slain, and in honour of their part in the battle of Alexandria they were granted this signal favour. Such, however, is not the correct story, for it is now generally conceded that the red heckle was granted for their courageous conduct in retaking some guns, at Gildermaslen on January 4th, 1795, which the 11th Light Dragoons had abandoned. The Dragoons wore a red feather in their helmets, and this was passed on, so to speak, to the Black Watch, and the "red heckle" has distinguished the gallant regiment ever since.

Highland Society's Medal.—For the "distinguished and brilliant manner in which the 42nd acted at Alexandria," the Highland Society of London had a medal struck to commemorate the capture of the "Invincibles'" standard, and one was presented to each officer and private, and to the relatives of the dead men. The medal is 2 in. in diameter, and bears on the obverse the bust of Sir Ralph Abercromby and the inscription ABERCROMBIUS DUX IN EGYPTO CECIDIT VICTOR 28 MAR 1801, and on the reverse a Highlander capturing a French standard, with the inscription in Gaelic NA FIR A CHOISIN BUAIDH' SAN EPHAIT 21 MAR 1801, which being interpreted means "These are the heroes who achieved victory in Egypt." On the edge of the medal is engraved in Gaelic O'N CHOMUN GHAELEACH D'ON FHREICEADAN DUBH NA XLII RT ("From the London Highland Society to the Black Watch 42nd Regiment"). In this battle the 28th (the 1st Gloucester Regiment) gained the distinction of wearing their badge at the back and front of their helmets, they having—while in line—turned about to meet an attack in the rear by cavalry while repelling an attack on their front by infantry.

THE MAHRATTA WAR

Dowlat Rao Scindiah, aspiring to the conquest of Hindustan, entered into negotiations with other Mahratta (Máráthá) leaders to attack the British and the Peishwah, who having allied himself to the British had been restored to his ancient position. The treaty of Bassein, in which the British agreed to restore him, has been described as "the greatest diplomatic triumph the world has ever witnessed." The war did not last long.

Allighur.—The first serious engagement was the storming of Allighur, "a bloody struggle, an hour in duration," on September 4th, 1803. The place was defended by General Perron, who had risen from the rank of a non-commissioned officer of the French Marine to be Commander in Chief of the Scindiah's army. General Lake, the British Commander-in-Chief, was his opponent, and he took the fortress by blowing in the gate, an operation described in the Wellington dispatch as "one of the most extraordinary feats I have heard of in this country." The 76th Regiment, led by Colonel Monson, was mainly instrumental in this daring feat; 2,000 of the defenders fell, and 17 officers and 261 men of the British army were killed and wounded. The 27th and 29th Dragoons were the only other European regiments present.

Delhi.—Within a few days the battle of Delhi was fought and won. A portion of the force was dispatched, and on the 11th day of September, 1803, encamped near the Jehna Nullah within 6 miles of Delhi. Here Lake was, with 4,500 fighting men, confronted by an army of 13,000 infantry and 6,000 horsemen, with 79 pieces of artillery, under the command of a French officer, Louis Bourquien. Lake, despite the fatigued condition of his men, decided to give battle, and the result was a crowning victory for the British General, who with a native army—he had only two of the King's regiments with him, the 76th Foot and 27th Dragoons (since disbanded), to stiffen it—utterly routed the Mahrattas, who lost 3,000 men. The British losses were severe, for 585 men, including 17 European officers, fell ere the victorious army bivouacked on the field of battle, after being seventeen hours under arms. On September 13th the gallant Lake and his men entered Delhi. The result of this victory was the restoration of the Great Mogul, the blind Shah Alum, who had been a prisoner of the Scindiah's for years.

GOLD MEDAL FOR MAIDA, 1806.

Awarded to Sir Henry Edward Bunbury, Bart., K.C.B.

MEDAL FOR AVA, 1824-6.

Assaye.[3]—Meanwhile Major-General the Hon. Arthur Wellesley had besieged and taken Ahmednuggur, possibly at the time the strongest stone fort in India. This he made his base of operations, and hastened to get into touch with Colonel Stevenson in order to make a combined attack on the enemy on September 24th, but while Wellesley was on the march he discovered, when at Naulmah on the 23rd, that he was within 6 miles of the Mahratta army; he decided, therefore, to take what he afterwards termed "a desperate expedient." With a force of 6,400 infantry and 1,600 cavalry (of these only 1,500 were British) and only 17 guns, the man who was to become the hero of Waterloo offered battle to the armies of the confederate chiefs, which included 30,000 horse and 128 cannon in position behind the steep banks of the River Kaitna. The result of the battle was as brilliant as the commander's resolve was daring, for the Mahratta army was routed by one only a fifth its size, and left 2,000 dead on the field; but the cost to the British was a third of the army killed or wounded, including 170 officers. Wellesley had one horse killed under him by a cannon shot, and another by a bayonet wound in the breast—sufficient evidence of the part the General took in the attack. The battle of Assaye, Wellington's first victory, is excellent evidence that he was as bold in attack as he was brilliant in defence. The 19th Light Dragoons (since disbanded), the 74th and 78th Foot were the British regiments engaged in the battle, and while the latter bore the brunt of the conflict, the Dragoons largely contributed to it by their brilliant charge.

[3] Spelt ASSYE on bar of Army of India Medal.

Siege of Agra.—The Mahrattas, who had evacuated Delhi after the surrender of their European officers, fell back on Agra, where the garrison, desirous of keeping the great treasure the city held, had shut the gates to their Mahratta countrymen. General Lake, having ordered his army in pursuit, had therefore to deal with these before laying siege to Agra. After a stiff fight, a charge of sepoys was all that was necessary before proceeding to take the city, which when it fell, on October 18th, was found to contain treasure worth £280,000. For this battle no recognition was given, as we shall see when listing the bars for the medals granted for the wars and battles in India between September 4th, 1803, and January 1826.

Asseerghur.—At the battle of Asseerghur (October 21st, 1803) there was only one British regiment present, the 94th Foot (the Scotch Brigade). On October 16th Colonel Stevenson took possession of Burhampoor, and then proceeded to Asseerghur, where he assaulted the Pettah, or Citadel, on the 17th, and on the 21st, after cannonading the fort, received the surrender of the place. The battle practically cleared the Scindiah out of the Deccan, but did not humiliate him.

Laswarree.—The decisive defeat of the Scindiah's army at Laswarree on November 1st, 1803, might be called the crowning glory of Lake's life, for the battle was a particularly desperate one, fought against great odds, and with a tenacity which had not characterised any previous battles, hard-fought though they had been, the enemy contesting the ground inch by inch. The Mahratta force comprised 9,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, with 72 guns, and of this fine army 7,000 were left dead on the field of battle, while 2,000 were taken prisoners; the British force, numbering only 4,000, had 172 killed and 652 wounded. The British regiments present were the Royal Irish Hussars (8th); the 27th and 29th Light Dragoons; and the 76th Regiment, which lost heavily in the battle, but covered itself with glory after a night march of nearly 25 miles; indeed, the whole of the British army had been under arms for sixteen hours. General Lake, who it was said had "carried bravery to the very verge of rashness," was created Baron Lake of Delhi and Laswarree.

Argaum.—The battle of Argaum, fought on November 29th, 1803, broke the Mahratta power, Wellesley routing the enemy, who abandoned 38 pieces of cannon and all their ammunition. In this battle the 74th and 78th Highlanders were particularly praised by Major-General Wellesley for repulsing and practically destroying a body of Persian or Arab cavalry. The other infantry regiment present was the 94th, and the only British cavalry regiment the 19th Light Dragoons.

Gawilghur.—Pressing on, Wellesley arranged with Colonel Stevenson to besiege the fort of Gawilghur, the event taking place on December 15th, 1803. This was only possible after considerable hardships and endurance on the part of the army, which had to make roads along which it could drag its guns by hand. Their labours, however, were rewarded by a comparatively bloodless victory for themselves, in which the enemy lost a large number of men during the storming, among them being Killadar and Bery Sing. Two days later the treaty of peace between the Rajah of Berar and the Honourable East India Company was ratified, and the Scindiah also ratified a treaty of peace on January 5th, 1804, and thus a campaign of five months' duration was brought to an end by the astuteness and daring of Lake and Wellesley. The 74th and 78th Highlanders, and the 94th Foot (then the Scotch Brigade, now 2nd Battalion Connaught Rangers) were the only British regiments present at Gawilghur.

Defence of Delhi.—Holkar yet remained to be dealt with, and a series of unfortunate circumstances made him somewhat bold, so he set about besieging Delhi, which was held by Indian troops and four companies of Europeans under British officers, who, numbering only 2,500, had to defend a city 10 miles in circumference from the attacks of an army of 70,000 men with 130 guns. Meanwhile General Lake, learning of the trouble, marched rapidly up from Agra, and reached the city on October 18th, 1804. Holkar thereupon raised the siege, crossed the Jumna, and proceeded to lay waste the land.

Battle of Deig.—Lake, however, with his usual daring, made after him with his European cavalry and artillery, accompanied by the Delhi garrison. General Frazer was detached to march on Deig, where in the battle outside he was mortally wounded. In this battle the 76th (the only British regiment present) again distinguished itself, and drove the left flank of the enemy into the morass, where many were drowned. Besides the 76th the H.E.I. Co.'s 101st (Bengal Fusiliers) and the Bengal Native Infantry took part. During this action, in which the Mahrattas lost about 2,000 men, Holkar was closely pursued by General Lake, and was ultimately compelled to fly with a few adherents before the surprising onslaught of Lake, who, finding that the Bajah of Bhurtpoor had assisted with his cavalry in the battle of Deig, and not only sheltered Holkar's retreating troops but had fired on their pursuers, determined to act promptly and firmly.

Capture of Deig.—On December 13th he invested the fortress, but not until the night of the 23rd was the assault made—ten days having been occupied in making a breach—and then within one hour the place was taken after a short but desperate resistance; the citadel, however, still remained in the hands of the enemy, who evacuated the town and citadel on Christmas Eve 1804, and fled to Bhurtpoor, whither Lake resolved to pursue their army. The British regiments present at the capture were the 8th and 29th Light Dragoons, and portions of the 22nd (the Cheshire Regiment) and the 76th Foot. The H.E.I. Co.'s 1st European Regiment, 6th Light Cavalry, and 8th Native Infantry were also present.

Lord Lake made the one mistake in his Indian warfare when he sat down before Bhurtpoor, because matériel necessary to a successful issue was lacking. After several unsuccessful assaults, Lake deemed it advisable to withdraw, and on the 24th took up a position 6 miles off, there to await fresh supplies of stores and ammunition. On April 9th he renewed operations, and by the 21st had settled accounts with the Rajah. The Scindiah, having joined Holkar, was pursued by Lake, and on November 23rd, 1805, a treaty was ratified with him; later Holkar was also glad to sign a treaty, whereby the peace of Hindustan was secured for twelve years, and here we must leave for a period the tale of Indian wars, which went unrewarded until April 1851—forty-eight years after the battle of Allighur—and take up the thread with the war in Nepaul.

Maida, 1806.—The first official war medal for military service was awarded to the seventeen superior officers who were engaged in the decisive and brilliant victory of Sir John Stuart—then Major-General—at Maida in Calabria, on July 4th, 1806, when the French were defeated, leaving about 700 dead on the field. The order for striking the medals was issued in 1808. On the obverse is a laureated head of King George with the legend GEORGIVS TERTIVS REX, and on the reverse the figure of Britannia hurling a spear with the right hand, while guarding herself with a circular shield whereon the Union Jack is delineated, and just underneath this the inscription MAI
DA
IVL. IV
MDCCCVI. Above is a small flying figure of Victory, crowning her with a wreath of laurel, and behind, the ancient symbol of Sicily—the triguetra, or triple leg—like the Manx arms; in the exergue are two crossed darts tied with a knot. This medal, 1½ in. in diameter, framed and glazed, was worn from the button-hole of the uniform, suspended by a claret-coloured blue-edged ribbon from a gold swivel and loop. The names and rank of recipients are inscribed on the edge; it was cut by Pidgeon. The medal illustrated facing page [20] was awarded to Lieut.-Gen. Henry Edward Bunbury, Bart., K.C.B., who was Under Secretary of State for War, 1809-16. It was kindly photographed for use in this book by his grandson, Sir Henry Bunbury, Bart.

THE PENINSULAR WAR

Napoleon, having by a series of brilliant battles gained supremacy over Central Europe, issued a decree against all commercial intercourse with Great Britain, but having lost any semblance of maritime power by the crushing defeat of Trafalgar (October 21st, 1805), this was a somewhat idle procedure. Portugal declining to carry out his Imperial decrees, Napoleon alleged that the house of Braganza no longer held power, and by cajoling the Spaniards into a false security led them to believe that they would participate in the spoils of Portugal; consequently they permitted an army under Marshal Junot to over-run Portugal, but Napoleon's ulterior object was to place his brother Joseph, King of Naples, on the throne of Spain, and in order to effect this purpose the weak-minded Charles IV and his son Ferdinand were induced to go to Bayonne, where Napoleon extracted from them the renunciation of the throne of Spain; meanwhile the Royal family of Portugal had fled to Brazil. On July 20th, 1808, Joseph Bonaparte entered Madrid, but the high-spirited Spaniards refused to accept him, and established a "junta" at Seville, declared Ferdinand VII king, and drove Joseph out of Madrid within a fortnight. The Spaniards, however, felt unequal to dealing with the usurper, and appealed to England, and not in vain—for an army of 10,000 men was speedily dispatched, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, who fought his first successful battle against the French in Spain on August 17th, 1808.

Roleria.—This was the battle of Roliça, erroneously called Roleria through a mistake in dispatches, and maintained on the colours ever since, when General Laborde was driven from the position he held. The following regiments took part in the battle—5th, 6th, 9th, 29th, 32nd, 36th, 38th, 40th, 45th, 60th, 71st (known with the 43rd as the "Glasgow Light Infantry," owing to the number of Lowland Scots in the regiments), 82nd, 91st, and the Rifle Brigade, which, as Wellesley stated in his dispatch, had just been formed, but the brunt of the fighting fell on the 5th, 9th, 29th, Riflemen of the 60th and the 95th, and also the flank companies of Major-General Rowland (afterwards Viscount) Hill's Brigade. Meanwhile Marshal Junot, the French Commander-in-Chief, decided to brook no delay, and advanced to attack Wellesley, who was at this time at the Vimiera heights near the Maceria River.

Vimiera.—In this battle (August 21st, 1808) Wellesley gave some indication of that power in organising defence which was to prove so valuable at Waterloo. The French attacked with considerable spirit, but the British retaliated with equal vigour and drove them off. In this battle the 50th, known as the "Blind Half Hundred" owing to ophthalmia having attacked the men, and as the "Dirty Half Hundred" owing to the black coming off their cuffs when rubbing their faces, made brilliant and determined charges, which, with those made by the 43rd and the 71st, compelled the French to retreat. In this battle a piper of the 71st, being wounded in the leg, sat upon his knapsack, and declared as he placed his pipes to his lips, "Diel hae me, lads, if ye shall want for music." There were no Victoria Crosses in those days, or George Clark would have had one. Wellesley, who had been superseded in the command by Lieutenant-General Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Harry Buzzard, now returned to England, disgusted, it is said, with the Convention of Cintra, by which the French army was permitted to evacuate Portugal and leave Lisbon in September for Brittany, from whence it soon proceeded to re-enter the Peninsula by way of the Pyrenees. Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, who arrived in Spain after the battle of Vimiera, was placed in command of the troops, consequent upon the recall of Sir Hew Dalrymple and the resignation of Sir Harry Buzzard. His glorious death at Coruña, after a brilliant retreat, is an imperishable memory.

Sahagun.—The story of the advance against Marshal Soult is marked by many brilliant episodes, among them the daring charge of the 15th Hussars on December 20th, 1808, at Sahagun, where, unexpectedly finding a broad ditch to pass, they leapt it in "a true fox-hunting spirit," and put the enemy to flight, with the loss of ten colonels and 160 men prisoners. As a result of this action, Sir John Moore established his headquarters at Sahagun. Though the 10th Hussars also took part in the affair, the 15th is the only cavalry regiment which won the right to carry the name on its battle-roll; the 7th, 18th Hussars, and the 3rd Hussars of the King's German Legion, were also present, and were later deemed worthy of the bar, likewise two batteries of Horse Artillery. It is noteworthy that only fifteen bars for Sahagun were issued, those who took part in the battle of Benevente as well, receiving a single bar inscribed with the two names.

Benevente.—On December 24th Sir John Moore thought it advisable to retire from Sahagun, and on the 28th reached Benevente in very inclement, snowy weather, where another brilliant cavalry affair took place on the 29th, when the 10th Hussars, under General Lord Paget, made a most dashing charge against the cavalry of the Imperial Guard, led by General Lefebvre-Desnouettes, who, together with 70 cavalrymen, were made prisoners. The English cavalry lost 50 killed and wounded, and the French 150 killed. Dr. Payne points out that the single bars for this and the previous battle, as well as the bar SAHAGUN-BENEVENTE, were issued so indiscriminately that it is difficult to distinguish to which bar the recipient was entitled. There is a medal with the single bar BENEVENTE in the Chelsea Hospital.

PORTUGUESE PENINSULAR GOLD CROSS FOR COMMANDERS.

Awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Brunton.

Retreat to Coruña.—Then began the awful yet masterly retreat to Coruña. Through rain and snow, and over almost impassable roads, the British army of about 19,000 retreated with the French army of about 60,000, with 91 guns, hanging on without daring to do more than press the retreat, which became so demoralising to Moore's army, that not only had baggage to be abandoned, but guns and treasure to the amount of £25,000 were thrown over a precipice near Nogales to prevent any possibility of their falling into the hands of the enemy. And so, with his army of comparatively raw troops, Sir John Moore resolutely and defiantly made his way to Coruña, pursued by the veterans, under Ney and Soult, only to find on arriving at the port that the transports which were to bear them to England had not arrived! There was nothing to be done but to accept battle, and this he did in such a splendid manner that it makes his death in the hour of victory an imperishable memory, while the recollection of the valour of his much-tried and distressed soldiers will last as long as men respect courage, especially that which triumphs in the face of adversity. Sir John Moore was buried on the ramparts of Coruña by his staff officers and a few men of the Black Watch and other regiments he loved, but—

"No useless coffin enclosed his breast,
Nor in sheet nor in shroud we wound him;
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest,
With his martial cloak around him."

Over his soldier's grave the French Marshals placed a plain tomb, while Marshal Soult, who commanded the French, had placed upon a rock near which Sir John Moore fell a Latin inscription recording the fact. He was not allowed, however, to sleep in his soldier's grave, for the Spaniards removed his body to a more conspicuous position, and covered it with a magnificent monument eloquent of his deeds, but hardly in keeping with his simple spirit.

In the battle of Coruña, fought on January 16th, 1809, the 50th Regiment particularly distinguished itself by its use of the bayonet, as did also the 42nd, who made a daring and victorious dash into "the key of the fight," Elvina village—indeed, the battle is said to have been won by Lord William Bentinck's brigade; Sir David Baird's division, consisting of the 4th, 42nd, and 50th, which, as mentioned in general orders issued by Lieutenant-General Hope, "sustained the weight of the attack." The 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers were the last to embark.

The regiments engaged at Coruña also included the Grenadier Guards; 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 14th, 20th, 26th, 28th, 32nd, 36th, 38th, 43rd, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 59th, 71st, 76th, 79th, 81st, 82nd, 91st, 92nd, 95th, and the Rifle Brigade; 7th, 10th, 15th, 18th Light Dragoons; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions King's German Legion, and the 3rd Dragoons of the same corps. Three batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery were also present.

Martinique.—This island was taken by the British in February, 1762, and on several other occasions, but a bar was only given for the campaign in 1809, which had been concluded, despite very bad weather, by its surrender to Lieutenant-General Beckwith on February 24th, 1809. The French were under Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse. It was restored to France in 1814. For this campaign a bar was granted when the decision was made to issue the Military General Service medal, commonly but erroneously known as the Peninsular medal, since not only were bars for Guadaloupe and Java included, but also for Fort Detroit, Chateauguay, and Chrystler's Farm in America.

For the capture of Martinique the superior officers were awarded a gold medal, similar to that I shall shortly describe as having been conferred upon the officers who served in the Peninsula.

The following regiments took part in this expedition—60th, 63rd, and 90th; 1st West India Regiment and the flank companies of the 7th Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 8th, 13th Light Infantry, 15th, 23rd, and 25th Regiments.

Talavera.—In the spring of 1809, Sir Arthur Wellesley left England to take command of the Anglo-Portuguese army, and, landing at Lisbon on April 22nd, placed himself at the head of 25,000 British and Portuguese, crossed the Douro, drove Marshal Soult out of Oporto, advanced into Spain, and giving battle to the French at Talavera, defeated them after a long-drawn conflict lasting over the 27th and 28th July. The French were commanded by the intrusive King Joseph Bonaparte, assisted by Marshal Victor. The French losses in the first day's fighting were about 1,000 officers and men, the British losing about 800. For the two days the French had a total of 7,394 placed hors de combat, including Generals Lapisse and Morlot killed, and Generals Sebastiani and Boulet wounded; the killed numbered 944, and the wounded 6,274, while 150 were taken prisoners. The British losses amounted to 6,268; Generals Mackenzie and Langewith, 857 officers and men being killed; 3 generals, 192 officers, and 3,718 men wounded, 9 officers and 643 men missing. The Spaniards gave their losses as 1,200 killed and wounded. This battle, the victory in which was claimed for both sides, gained for the victorious General the titles of Baron Douro of Wellesley and Viscount Wellington of Talavera, with a pension of £2,000 per annum.

The following regiments were engaged in the battle of Talavera, those marked with an asterisk being specially mentioned in dispatches. 1st Batt. Coldstream Guards; 1st and 3rd Batts. Scots Guards; 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 2nd Batt. 7th Regiment,* 2nd Batt. 24th, 1st Batt. 29th,* 2nd Batt. 31st,* 1st Batt. 40th, 1st Batt. 45th,* 1st and 2nd Batts. 48th, 2nd Batt. 53rd,* 5th Batt. 60th,* 1st Batt. 61st, 2nd Batt. 66th, 71st, 79th, 82nd, 2nd Batt. 83rd, 2nd Batt. 87th, 1st Batt. 88th, 91st, 92nd, 1st Batt. 97th,* and the Rifle Brigade. 3rd Dragoon Guards, 4th Dragoons, 14th (now Hussars), 16th (now Lancers), and 23rd Light Dragoons; Royal Artillery, Engineers, and Staff Corps; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions, 1st Light Dragoons, and 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th Line Battalions of the King's German Legion.

Peninsular Gold Medals.—Following this brilliant victory it was notified in the London Gazette , September 9th, 1810, that a gold medal would be granted to commemorate the battles of Roleria, Vimiera, Coruña, and Talavera. It was, however, only given to officers who had taken part in these engagements, or who had participated in any brilliant cavalry affair. It was also decided that the medal to which an officer would have been entitled, had he survived, should be given to his next of kin. The medals vary in size, but are all of the same design. The larger size was conferred upon General Officers, and the smaller ones upon colonels and senior officers. The medal was only given to those who were actually in command during an engagement, or succeeded thereto owing to the commander being killed or placed hors de combat.

The gold medal bears on the obverse the figure of Britannia, wearing a rather squat Roman-looking helmet, seated upon a globe, and bearing in her extended right hand a laurel wreath and in her left a palm branch, which rests upon an oval shield bearing the Union Jack; to Britannia's right is the British lion. On the reverse is a simple wreath of laurel, with the name of the battle and the date engraved in Roman capitals. The medal is attached to the ribbon by a simple suspender, and a gold buckle was frequently worn in the middle of the ribbon. General and Commanding Officers were ordered to wear the medal suspended from the neck by means of a red ribbon with blue edges—familiarly known as the Peninsular ribbon—and below the rank of lieutenant-general by the same ribbon from a button-hole of their coat. The senior officers complained that it was very inconvenient to wear a medal dangling from the neck while on horseback, and they were supported in their plea by Wellington. This medal is generally found glazed, to prevent its surface being damaged, the name and rank of the officer being engraved upon the edge of the medal itself.

PORTUGUESE OFFICER'S CROSS FOR THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN.

Awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Brunton.

Guadaloupe.—General Beckwith, who had captured Martinique, attacked the West Indian Island of Guadaloupe, and captured it on February 6th, 1810. The French, who lost nearly 600 men, were commanded by General Ernouf (see Martinique for regiments engaged).

Busaco.—Wellesley's Spanish allies had failed him, as Sir John Moore with his sorry experience had predicted, and so after the battle of Talavera de la Regna he retired into Portugal, whither Napoleon sent Marshal Masséna to "drive the English Leopards into the sea," but the "Sepoy General," as Napoleon had dubbed Wellesley, was alive to the possibilities of the situation, and in face of the overwhelming numbers of the French, decided to prepare the impregnable lines of Torres Vedras, stretching from the Tagus to the sea; but before he could entrench himself he was compelled to check the pursuit of Masséna on the Busaco Sierra on September 27th, 1810, where his army of British and Portuguese resisted all attempts to dislodge them. In this battle both the British and Portuguese troops fought with daring determination, so that it would appear invidious to single out special regiments for notice, but the 38th, 45th, and the 8th Portuguese Regiments were mentioned in dispatches. The 88th Connaught Rangers repulsed a division of French infantry, while the 74th Highlanders did a like service. General Simon, who had bravely led his brigade up the mountain side, was captured by two men of the 52nd Regiment, and the French losses amounted to 2,000 killed and as many wounded. The British losses were 197 killed and 1,072 wounded. Marshals Ney, Masséna, and Regnier commanded the French, the English and Portuguese being under Wellington.

At the battle of Busaco the following regiments took part: the Coldstreams and Scots Guards; 4th, 14th, and 16th Light Dragoons, and three batteries of artillery; 1st Royal Scots 3rd Batt. 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 24th, 27th, 29th, 31st, 34th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 48th, 50th, 52nd, 53rd, 57th, 60th, 61st, 66th, 74th, 79th, 83rd, 88th, 97th, and the Rifle Brigade; there were also present the following units of the King's German Legion; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions, and the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th Line Battalions.

Rodrigues and Isle of France.—To keep our order chronologically we must leave for a moment the army in Spain to call attention to the fact that it had become necessary, in order to protect British shipping from the French ships harbouring in the Isle of France, or the Mauritius, that the place should be taken from them. Previous to this, as part of the same plan, it had been decided to also take the Island of Rodrigues, as a preliminary to the capture of the Isle of Bourbon. For the action which was fought at Rodrigues it was decided to award a medal to those who had taken part in the expedition in the then French islands, and on September 10th, 1811, a General Order was issued stating that a medal would be awarded to those who had taken part in the action at Rodrigues, the defeat of the French on the Isle of Bourbon, and the capture of the Isle of France. The medal was awarded to native troops only, although the 86th and 96th Regiments bear BOURBON on their colours. 2,201 were struck, 45 gold and 2,156 silver. The obverse bears a figure of a sepoy standing beside a field gun, holding the Union Jack unfurled in his right hand, and in his left his musket with bayonet fixed; with his left foot he tramples on a French colour and Eagle, whilst the British fleet at anchor forms the background. On the reverse is a Persian inscription surrounding a laurel wreath, stating that "this medal was conferred in commemoration of the bravery and accustomed fidelity exhibited by the sepoys of the English company in the capture of the Mauritius Islands in the year of the Hegira 1226." Outside the wreath is the record RODRIGUES VI JULY MDCCCIX. BOURBON VIII JULY & ISLE OF FRANCE IN DEC. MDCCCX. The medal, 1⁹∕₁₀ in. in diameter, was intended to be worn suspended from a silken cord.

It is noteworthy that a corporal of the 86th planted the regimental colours on the redoubt, and in the fight for the Isle of Bourbon Lieutenant Munro of the 86th was killed, also 17 men killed and 59 wounded. At the taking of the Isle of France only 29 of both services were killed, and less than 150 wounded and missing; besides the fleet of 70 sail, an army of 10,000 men under Major-General Abercromby took part in the expedition.

Barrosa.—On September 29th Wellington retired with the allied armies of 25,000 British and 30,000 Portuguese behind the famous lines of Torres Vedras, where his force was augmented by the arrival of English troops. Masséna made a series of ineffectual attacks, which had the effect of keeping Wellington's army from getting stale, and then retired to Santarem. Meanwhile a force of 4,500 British, under Lieutenant-General Graham, and 7,000 Portuguese under General Dom Manuel le Lapeña, reached Tarifa to operate against the rear of the French army under Marshal Victor at Chaclana. Graham had unfortunately contented himself with the command of his own troops, leaving Lapeña to assume the position of Commander-in-Chief. On April 5th, 1811, Lapeña halted his army on the Cerro de Puerco, now known as the heights of Barrosa. The Spaniards, lacking in discipline and devoid of esprit de corps, straggled into a situation which gave the keen-eyed French Marshal an opportunity he was not slow to take advantage of, for the blundering Lapeña had left a position which could have been held on the heights of Barrosa, with the result that his Spanish army was routed and driven towards the sea. Lapeña's stupidity had placed Graham in a very awkward situation. He had obeyed the command to move to Te Bermeja, but, apprised of the danger that threatened the Spanish General, he countermarched, only to find that Lapeña had bolted with his rabble of soldiery, and that the French held the key of the position. Graham determined to take the heights, and it is said there was never a shorter, more violent, or bloodier conflict; it lasted one hour and a quarter, and resulted in a loss to the French of about 3,000 killed and wounded, including General Ruffin and Brigadier Rousseau, who were mortally wounded, and six guns. The British out of their small army lost in killed and wounded about 1,243 men, including 50 officers and 60 sergeants. The 87th Regiment, Royal Irish Fusiliers, distinguished themselves by charging the French line, and capturing the Eagle of the 8th Infantry, the first to be taken during the war; two companies of the Coldstream Guards accompanied the 87th in its charge.

The following British regiments took part in the battle: 2nd Batts. of the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scots Guards; flank companies of the 1st Batt. 9th Regiment; 1st Batt. 28th; flank companies 2nd Batt. 47th; 2nd Batt. 67th; flank companies 2nd Batt. 87th; 2nd Batt. 87th; 2nd and 3rd Batts. Rifle Brigade; Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, also the 2nd Hussars of the King's German Legion.

The British had been under arms for twenty-four hours, and fought the battle with Lapeña and his men acting the part of spectators, except for the Spanish Walloon Guard and the regiment of Ciudad Real, who joined in the fray "impelled by the instinct natural to brave men." Napier, in comparing the two leaders at Barrosa, states: "The contemptible weakness of Lapeña furnished a surprising contrast to the heroic vigour of Graham, whose attack was an inspiration rather than a resolution—so wise, so sudden was the decision, so swift, so conclusive was the execution."

SPANISH CROSS FOR ALBUHERA.

SPANISH CROSS FOR CIUDAD RODRIGO.

SPANISH GOLD CROSS FOR VITTORIA.

Fuentes d'Onor.—On Sunday, May 5th, 1811, the battle of Fuentes d'Onor (Fountain of Honour) was fought. The British and Portuguese armies under Marshal Beresford had invested Almeida, upon which Marshal Masséna marched his army, and the British light division and cavalry retired as the French advanced upon the village, which gave its name to the battle, and together with the heights behind was occupied by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd division. The French attack upon the village on May 3rd necessitated the aid of reinforcements, and the 71st (Highland Light Infantry), the 79th (Cameron Highlanders), and the 24th (South Wales Borderers) were dispatched, the first-named regiment charging the enemy and driving them out of that portion of the village which they had occupied. The contest raged until nightfall, and over 250 officers and men fell on each side in what was practically a hand-to-hand conflict. The 4th was spent quietly, but on the 5th Masséna decided to try the fortune of the day, which at the commencement seemed to smile in his favour, for Junot carried the village of Posa Velha, while the French cavalry not only drove in the cavalry of the allies, but the whole movement caused Wellington to make a daring change of position, during which an episode unique in the annals of warfare took place. In the retirement, two guns, under Captain Norman Ramsey, had been left behind, and the French and British also were astounded to see Ramsey charge through the French masses at the head of his battery, "his horses breathing fire and stretching like greyhounds along the plain, his guns bounding like things of no weight, and the mounted gunners in close and compact order protecting the rear." Shortly after the 2nd Battalion of the Black Watch again distinguished itself by repulsing a charge of French dragoons.

While the fighting was proceeding on the vast plain, a furious attack was made on Fuentes d'Onor, which was desperately held by the 24th, 71st, and 79th Regiments, but the unequal contest was determined by the bayonet charge of the 88th Connaught Rangers. Nightfall compelled the cessation of hostilities, and both armies lay down to rest, looking to the morrow to decide the battle, but the French gave no sign of battle, and on the 8th retreated on the road to Ciudad Rodrigo. Masséna claimed Fuentes d'Onor as a victory, despite the fact that his object, to relieve Almeida, was unattained. In this sanguinary battle the British lost 200 killed, 1,028 wounded, and 294 missing. It is said that Masséna's total loss was about 3,000; of the French dead 200 were found in the lower village of Fuentes d'Onor. This was Masséna's last battle, Napoleon recalling the enfant chéri de la victoire, who returned to France broken-hearted, and when opportunity offered gave his allegiance to Louis XVIII.

The regiments engaged in the battle were the 2nd Foot Guards (Coldstreams), 3rd Foot Guards (Scots Guards), 1st Dragoons; 14th and 16th Light Dragoons; 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, 24th, 30th, 38th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 60th, 71st, 74th, 79th, 83rd, 85th, 88th, 92nd, 94th, and the Rifle Brigade; Horse Artillery; 1st Hussars; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions, and the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th Line Battalions of the King's German Legion.

Albuera.—"Modern history," wrote General Picton, "presents no example of an action so obstinately disputed as that of Albuera." It was there that the "Die-hards" gained their coveted name, and when the roll-call of the "Buffs" was called, after the battle, only three privates and a drummer answered to their names. It was the fight for the regimental colours which accounted in a degree for the grave loss of life, so Lieutenant-General Cust states. Ensign Thomas refused to yield the colours and was killed. Lieutenant Latham, when severely wounded, tore the precious flag he had received from Ensign Walsh from the broken staff, and concealed it under his body, where it was found after the battle by a sergeant of the 7th Fusiliers.

Latham Gold Medal.—Latham, who had a wonderful recovery, was presented by the officers of the "Buffs" with a gold medal commemorating the event, and a royal authority was given him to wear it. The "Buffs," as I have indicated, were almost annihilated—4 officers, 4 sergeants, and 208 rank and file were killed; 13 officers, 11 sergeants, 1 drummer, and 222 rank and file wounded; 1 officer wounded and taken prisoner; 2 officers, 15 sergeants, 1 drummer, and 161 rank and file missing—a loss of 644 officers and men in one battle. The "Buffs" had already lost 27 killed and 208 wounded, and 7 missing, at Talavera. The 57th, Middlesex Regiment, who were called upon by their dying Colonel Inglis to "die hard," went into action 570 strong, but when the battle was over, 23 officers and 400 rank and file "were lying as they had fought, in ranks, with every wound in the front."

The battle was fought on May 16th, 1811, the Spanish leaders agreeing that Marshal Beresford should have supreme command, and to receive battle in the village of Albuera. The allied army consisted of 32,000 infantrymen and 2,000 cavalry, with 38 guns; half the force was Spanish, and the other half equally composed of British and Portuguese. The Spaniards, as usual, were slack, and did not get into position properly. The battle opened by the French attacking the heights on the right of the Spaniards, and though they fought stubbornly at first they gradually gave way before the onslaught of the French. Matters had become very serious when General Stewart sent the leading brigade of his division up the hill under General Colborne; the advance was made in a drizzling rain. The French made several brilliant charges, and in the mêlée the commanding officer, Marshal Beresford, was attacked by a Polish lancer, whom he seized bodily and threw from his saddle. Those were heroic days indeed! The bad weather, which had so far favoured the French, actually helped to save the day for the English, for the drizzling rain prevented Marshal Soult from appreciating the sad condition of the British. On the heights the 31st had resolutely held its ground; other regiments had been cut to pieces, and Beresford thought of retreat, when the cool daring of Colonel (afterwards Lord) Hardinge, who took upon himself to order General Cole to advance, and, taking General Abercromby's brigade to the ground, saved the day—to which, by the way, the Portuguese regiments of the fourth division contributed—General Cole leading the 7th and 23rd Fusiliers in person. Cole drove off the Lancers and recovered the lost guns, but ere the enemy were driven from the ridge, they had fired a terrific volley from all the guns, which killed Sir William Myers, wounded the intrepid Cole and three officers, while the Fusiliers "reeled and staggered under the iron tempest like sinking ships, but nothing could stop them." Soult, rushing into the thickest of the fight, tried to encourage his brave soldiers to stand; it was useless. "Suddenly and sternly recovering, they closed on their terrible enemies, and then was seen with what a strength and majesty the British soldier fights." To again quote Napier, "Nothing could stop that astonishing infantry ... their measured tread shook the ground, their dreadful volleys swept away the head of every formation ... the French reserve, mixing with the struggling multitude, endeavoured to sustain the fight, but the effort only increased the irremediable confusion; the mighty mass gave way, and like a loosened cliff went headlong down the steep. The rain flowed after it in streams, discoloured with blood, and 1,500 unwounded men, the remnant of 6,000 unconquerable British soldiers, stood triumphant on the fatal hill." The dead and wounded lay in two distinct lines on the ground, and in such compact masses that 7,000 bodies occupied so small an area that the artillery advancing into action had to pass over the living and the dead, friend and enemy.

ALCANTARA MEDAL, 1809.
(Obverse.)

ALCANTARA MEDAL, 1809.
(Reverse.)

MILITARY GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL.

The Immortals.—The "Die-hards," the "Buffs," the 7th Fusiliers, and the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers immortalised themselves in that bloodiest of all battles, where in four hours no less than 15,000 men were placed hors de combat. Well might M. Thiers say that "a sort of fatality rendered the heroic bravery of our troops powerless against the cold courage of the English." The 23rd lost 347 men, 80 killed, and 257 wounded and missing, and it is noteworthy that one company was brought out of action by a corporal. The 29th mustered only 2 captains and about 100 junior officers and men; the 57th was little better off, likewise the 48th when the French were driven across the Albuera River. Of the 7,000 British soldiers engaged, 4,300 were killed or wounded; the dead included Major-General Houghton, who was killed while leading his division, 33 officers, 33 sergeants, and 917 men. The Spanish and Portuguese allies lost about 2,000 men killed or wounded, and as the allied army consisted of about 34,000 men, the brunt of the fighting was borne by the British troops. The French, who numbered about 33,000, lost about 1,000 more men than the British, including 5 of their General Officers killed or wounded; 2,000 dead and 800 of their worst wounded were left on the field when the French drew off, leaving the British uncertain as to what the morrow might bring forth, but reinforcements coming for the British, Soult moved off in the direction of Badajoz, followed by Beresford.

The following regiments took part in the battle: 3rd Dragoon Guards; 4th Dragoons; 13th Light Dragoons; 1st, 3rd Foot (the "Buffs"); 1st and 2nd 7th (Royal Fusiliers); 1st 23rd (Welsh Fusiliers); 1st 27th Inniskillings; 2nd 28th; 29th; 2nd 31st; 2nd 34th; 2nd 39th (Dorsetshire); 1st 40th; 1st and 2nd 48th (Northamptonshire); 1st 57th (West Middlesex); 1st and 2nd 60th and four companies of the 5th Battalion; 2nd 66th (Berkshire); 97th Queen's Own; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions of the King's German Legion, and one company of Brunswick Oels.

Java.—The capture of the East Indian island of Java, which the Dutch called the most precious jewel in their diadem, was effected after operations lasting from July 27th, 1811, when Lieutenant Edmund Lyons—after Admiral Lyons—made a daring landing with a few seamen, until August 26th, ten days after the battle fought at Serondel near Samarang. During this expedition the storming of Fort Cornelis took place, when the enemy lost 1,000 killed; and three Brigadiers, 30 Field Officers, 70 Captains, 140 Subalterns, and 5,000 rank and file prisoners; 400 cannons were captured. A million sterling was received by the British force as prize money. The British loss (naval and military) was 150 killed, 788 wounded, and 16 missing. By the Treaty of Vienna Java was restored to the Dutch in 1814.

H.E.I. Co.'s Java Medal.—A medal, 1·9 in. in diameter, was awarded by the Honourable East India Company to the sepoys who took part in the expedition. On the reverse is depicted the attack upon Fort Cornelis, with a British flag flying above the Dutch, and above all CORNELIS. The following is inscribed in Persian upon the reverse: "This medal was conferred in commemoration of the bravery and courage displayed by the sepoys of the English company, in the capture of the Kingdom of Java in the year of the Hegira 1228." "Java conquered XXVI August MDCCCXI." 133 gold and 6,519 silver medals of this type were struck.

King George III conferred gold medals upon the officers engaged, and when the Naval and the Military General Service Medals were awarded, the surviving participants in the capture received a medal with bar inscribed JAVA. Four distinct medals were issued for this expedition.

The military present at the capture of Java were the 14th (now West Yorkshire Regiment), 59th (now 2nd East Lancashire Regiment), 69th (now 2nd Welsh Regiment), 78th Highland Regiment (now 2nd Seaforths), 89th (now Royal Irish Fusiliers), Bengal Volunteers and sepoys of "John Company."

Ciudad Rodrigo.—The siege of Ciudad Rodrigo followed the "soldiers' battle" of Albuera. The army, after considerable manœuvring, marching, and countermarching, besieged Ciudad Rodrigo, which, together with the siege of Badajos, had to be undertaken before Wellington's plan of campaign could be carried out. On January 1st, 1812, the order for the siege of the fortress was suddenly issued, but some days elapsed before the order could be put into execution, owing to the inclement weather, snowstorms preventing any possibility of operations. On the 8th the investment of the fortress was commenced, and the earth redoubt of Teson Grande stormed and taken by Colonel Colborne with three companies of the 52nd Regiment. On the 13th the Convent of Santa Cruz, one of the two convents which had been fortified by the French, was stormed and carried by the light companies of the brigade of Guards, and on the night between the 14th and 15th the 40th Regiment escaladed and carried the fortified San Francisco Convent. Meanwhile preparations had been progressing for the general assault, which took place on the night of January 19th. Wellington had written in his orders "Ciudad must be stormed this evening," and the order was carried out in a brilliant manner, but alas! two British Generals were killed, General Crauford being mortally wounded whilst leading the light division, and General Mackinnon killed on reaching the ramparts of the greater breach. In this assault General Picton adjured the Connaught Rangers, who passed with the forlorn hope to storm the breach, to "spare powder and trust to cold iron," and it was by the use of the bayonet that the 43rd and 95th drove the French from the "fausse braye." The city was taken after a siege lasting twelve days, but the troops "committed frightful excesses," which some have condoned as a prescriptive right which successful besiegers may enjoy. The British losses were 9 officers and 217 rank and file killed, 84 officers—including Major-General Vandeleur and Major (afterwards Sir George) Napier, who lost an arm—and 1,000 men wounded. For the successful issue to his generalship, Wellington received the patent of an earl, and was made a Spanish duke, the British Government increasing his annuity to £4,000 per annum.

The regiments engaged in the siege were the 2nd Foot Guards (the Coldstreams); 3rd Foot Guards (Scots Guards); 5th, 7th, 24th, 30th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 48th, 52nd, 60th, 74th, 77th, 83rd, 88th, 94th, 97th, and the Rifle Brigade.

Siege of Badajoz.—Before bringing to a successful issue the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, Wellington had been busily engaged in preparing for the third siege of Badajoz. On March 16th, 1812, it was invested, but the weather for some time was particularly unfavourable to the besiegers, rain falling in torrents so that the men in the trenches were knee-deep in mud and water. By March 23rd, however, the weather had improved, and the ground was in better condition for placing the guns, which by the 25th were in position at Picurina, the place being taken by storm on that day. On the 26th breaching batteries opened fire on the city, and by April 6th it was deemed possible to storm the castle by escalade, Picton's division being ordered to do so. The bastion of La Trinidad was to be stormed by Colville's division, and the Santa Maria by the light division under Colonel Barnard, while the lunette of San Rocque was to be carried by the 48th under Major Wilson. At 10 o'clock at night the attack was made: General Kempts, leading his brigade to the foot of the castle, was there wounded, but, his men dashing on, the castle was won in an hour and a half. "At the breaches the tumult was such as if the earth had been rent asunder ... the carnage was frightful. It is doubtful whether, since the invention of gunpowder, any mass of men had ever been more fearfully exposed to all its murderous power. The dying were piled upon the dead in mounds, which the living could not pass; and the French soldiers, undisturbed in their avocation, raised the deriding cry 'Vive l'Empéreur!'" By midnight 2,000 men had fallen outside the city, and Wellington ordered the troops to withdraw; but this was as impossible as to go forward. Meanwhile some of the 5th division had entered the town (the 4th Regiment being in first), which by 6 o'clock the next morning was surrendered by the Governor. The besiegers lost 131 officers and 1,707 rank and file killed, and 564 officers and 6,083 men wounded. Napier states that "when the havoc of the night was told to Wellington, the pride of conquest sunk into a passionate burst of grief for the loss of his gallant soldiers," for in the assault alone the British casualties were 59 officers and 744 men killed, and 258 officers and 2,600 rank and file wounded. No wonder one of the Connaught Rangers exclaimed with an oath, "Och! Boys, Soudradrodrago was but a flay-bite to this." The 43rd Monmouth Light Infantry lost more men than any other regiment; 20 officers, including its chief, Colonel M'Leod (who was only twenty-seven), 335 sergeants and privates killed and wounded. Alas! the Saturnalia of Ciudad Rodrigo was repeated, and the disciplined men who had fought with such valour gave way to demoniacal passions which we of to-day can scarce believe. The indignity of the threatened gallows was the only way in which Wellington could curb his men, but not before several of the worst plunderers had been executed.

PENINSULAR GOLD CROSS.

PENINSULAR GOLD MEDAL WITH BARS.

The following regiments were engaged at the siege and storming of Badajoz: 2nd Foot Guards; 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 23rd, 24th, 30th, 38th, 40th, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 48th, 52nd, 60th, 74th, 77th, 83rd, 85th, 88th, 94th, and 95th Regiments, the Rifle Brigade, and the 13th and 14th Light Dragoons.

Salamanca.—The battle of Salamanca, fought on Sunday, July 22nd, 1812, is noteworthy as the first general action in the Peninsular War in which Wellington attacked; his decision was due to Marmont making a sudden movement which threatened to cut the British lines of communication with Portugal, but although the position appeared to be a critical one for the British General, he turned to the Spanish General Alva and said, "Mon cher Alva, Marmont est perdu!" In this battle the 3rd division, under Major-General Pakenham, were the first in action, and brilliantly carried everything before them. In this division were the Connaught Rangers, who, incensed by the death of a favourite officer, Major Murphy, could hardly be kept in hand. General Pakenham, noticing their impatience, ordered them to "be let loose," when they charged with an impetuosity which nothing could withstand, and together with the 45th and 74th broke through the masses of infantry, bayoneting all they could overtake. Composed of such material, no wonder the 3rd was called "the fighting division." It took just forty minutes to defeat Marmont's left wing, which in his endeavour to close the Ciudad road had got separated from the right, and into the gap made thereby Wellington poured his men. The right, however, reinforced by those who had escaped the conflict on the left, made a very determined resistance, and the shades of evening were falling ere the enemy made a last brave effort to retrieve the day, and, indeed, appeared to be on the way to doing so when Wellington ordered Clinton's division, numbering 6,000 bayonets, to advance, which, after a furious struggle, compelled the French to give way in confusion. Night had set in, and the remnants of Bonnet's division, which Clinton had put to rout, had the good fortune to find a means of escape through the abandonment of the ford of Alba de Tormes by the Spaniards. For six hours the battle of Salamanca raged with unabated fury, and with varying fortune on the right, so that the divisions which had been actively engaged, on an exceedingly hot day, were glad to bivouac on the ground where they had fought a battle, which again demonstrated the brilliant commandership and the keen, quick eye with which Wellington detected an opportunity when it offered. Salamanca was, in the opinion of experts, the most skilful of any of his victories, though the mistakes which Marmont made would have been obvious to men of lesser capacity. A decisive battle, it would have proved much more fatal to the French had darkness not precluded the possibility of any considerable effort at pursuit on the part of the victors. As it was, however, Wellington pressed the retreating French to the ford of Huerta, and ordered the cavalry to follow the fugitives; continually pressing on the rear, Wellington forced his way on to the romantic city of Valladolid, which he entered in triumph on July 31st. On August 12th he entered Madrid, to the plaudits of the people, who hailed him as the deliverer of their country.

In this battle the allies' losses exceeded 5,000. The British lost General Le Marchant, who was killed while leading a brilliant and successful charge of the heavy brigade, 24 officers, and 686 rank and file killed. Field-Marshal Beresford, Lieutenant-Generals Cotton, Cole, Leith, and Major-General Allen were wounded, besides 182 officers of inferior rank; 4,270 of the rank and file were wounded. The Portuguese lost about 304 killed and 1,552 wounded; the Spaniards lost—4! The French, who had at the battle about 42,000 men and 74 guns, lost about 7,000 men, besides Generals Desgraviers, Ferrey, and Thormières killed. Marmont, the Commander-in-Chief, was badly wounded early in the action by a shell; Bonnet was severely wounded, and Clausel, who commanded after the disablement of Marmont and Bonnet, slightly; 130 officers and 7,000 men were taken prisoners, and 2 Eagles, 6 standards, and 11 pieces of artillery were captured by the victors.

Essentially a General's victory, with exceedingly far-reaching consequences, Wellington was rewarded with a marquisate, an augmentation of his coat-of-arms to commemorate his services, and a grant of £100,000 to maintain the dignity of his rank; while the Spanish Regency presented him with the Order of the Golden Fleece. The vanquished Marmont, Duke of Ragusa, on the other hand, was told by Napoleon that he had "sacrificed to vanity the glory of the country, and the good of my service."

The following regiments were present at Salamanca, although some were in reserve: 2nd and 3rd Foot Guards; 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 30th, 32nd, 36th, 38th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 48th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 58th, 60th, 61st, 68th, 74th, 79th, 83rd, 88th, 94th, and 95th Regiments; artillery and Rifle Brigade; 5th Dragoon Guards; 3rd, 4th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, and 16th Light Dragoons. The King's German Legion was represented by the 1st Hussars; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions; 1st, 2nd, and 5th Line Battalions.

Fort Detroit.—From that unfortunate day in 1773, when the youth of Boston boarded the ships and cast the cargoes of tea into the sea, until the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, the relations between the English-speaking peoples were continuously strained; the centenary of that auspicious day, and the happy continuance of peace, we celebrate this year. With the events which led up to the outbreak of hostilities I am not here concerned, my province being merely to record such facts as will help in the appraisement of the intrinsic, historical, or sentimental value of medals awarded to those who have carried the burden of war. The capture of Fort Detroit was an episode which followed the declaration of war by the American Senate on June 18th, 1812. Early in July 2,500 Americans, under General Hull, crossed the Detroit and invaded Upper Canada, but, opposed by about 1,330 Canadian militia and regulars under Major-General Brock, they were forced back to Fort Detroit, on the American side of the St. Laurence, which Brock proceeded to invest, but having constructed his batteries and opened fire, before making the assault he sent his aide-de-camp to summon the United States General to obviate bloodshed by surrendering. This he did on August 16th.

• Knight's Badge, Military Order of San Fernando.
• M.G.S. Medal.
• Officer's Gold Cross for Peninsular.
• King John VI's Jewelled Badge, for Special Service.
• Knight's Badge, Order of the Tower and Sword.
• Badge and Star (Knight Commander's) of the Order of St. Bento d'Aviz.
• Officer's Badge, Order of the Tower and Sword.

GROUP OF NINE DECORATIONS AWARDED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL SIR EDWARD BRACKENBURY, K.B.A., K.T.S., K.F.

The regulars represented in this affair were 30 Royal Artillerymen, about 250 men of the 41st (the Welsh Regiment), which, together with its linked battalion, the 69th, bears DETROIT on its colours; 50 of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment; 400 Canadian militiamen, and 600 Indians.

Vittoria.—Following the abortive siege of Burgos, September 19th, 1813, Wellington retired to Frenada and Coria on the frontiers of Portugal, and went into winter quarters to await reinforcements. They having arrived, and the army being well equipped and in a good disciplinary spirit, he commenced the second part of the Peninsular campaign, which was destined to be a series of successes for the British commander, who commenced the final campaign in May 1813, by bidding adieu to Portugal, and marching into Spain with 70,000 men. He swept everything before him to the Pyrenees. "Neither," says Napier, "the winter gulleys, nor the ravines, nor the precipitate passes among the rocks, retarded even the march of the artillery—where horses could not draw, men hauled; when the wheels would not roll, the guns were let down or lifted by ropes—six days they toiled unceasingly, and on the seventh (June 20th) they burst like raging streams from every defile, and went foaming into the basin of Vittoria." There Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jourdan had taken up the position from which they were to be driven by the forceful Wellington, who spared nothing to achieve his object. "Never," wrote Napier, "was an army more hardly used by its commander, and never was a victory more complete." It was a terrific struggle; "the hills laboured and shook, and streamed with fire and water," ere the pseudo-king, Joseph Bonaparte, and his army fled in confusion, leaving all his personal belongings, and the rich pictures and plunder he had taken from every part of Spain, strewn on the road, for whosoever had a mind to acquire; 151 guns, 415 caissons of ammunition, 4,000 rounds for guns, and 2,000,000 musket cartridges were also abandoned, and a full military treasure-chest. Indeed, never had such an accumulation of military stores and private wealth been abandoned by a routed army.

The French General Gazan, who took part in the battle, recorded that the French "lost all their equipage, all their guns, all their treasure, all their papers, so that no man could prove how much pay was due to him." Joseph Bonaparte's carriage was abandoned in the street in his haste to evade Captain Wyndham, who made a bold dash to secure him; the Sword of State, emblematic of the kingship which the brother of Bonaparte had claimed, but which he had lost for ever, and the marshal's baton belonging to Jourdan, together with the Eagle of the 100th Regiment, were among the spoils. It is also recorded that "a perfect herd of women, including General Gazan's wife, and a number of the wives, mistresses, actresses, and nuns, belonging to officers and men of the French army, were abandoned." The Field Marshal's baton, which was taken by the 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards Viscount) Gough, was sent to the Prince Regent, who responded by sending Wellington the Field Marshal's baton of Britain.

The French loss in killed and wounded was estimated by M. Thiers at 5,000; the allies' losses were, British 500 killed, 2,300 wounded, and 266 missing; the Portuguese loss was about 150 killed and 900 wounded; the Spanish losing 89 killed and 460 wounded.

The British regiments present were the 1st and 2nd Life Guards and Horse Guards, represented by two squadrons; 1st, 3rd, and 5th Dragoons; 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 18th Light Dragoons; 2nd and 3rd Foot Guards; 1st Royal Scots; 2nd Queen's Royal; 4th King's Own Royal; 5th Northumberland Fusiliers; 6th Royal 1st Warwickshire; 7th Royal Fusiliers; 9th East Norfolk; 20th; 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 24th; 27th Inniskilling; 28th North Gloucestershire; 31st, 34th, 38th Staffordshire; 39th Dorsetshire; 40th; 43rd Monmouth Light Infantry; 45th Sherwood Foresters; 47th Lancashire; 48th Northamptonshire; 50th Queen's Own; 51st King's Own Light Infantry; 52nd Oxford Light Infantry; 53rd Shropshire; 57th West Middlesex; 58th, 59th, 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps; 66th Berkshire; 68th Durham Light Infantry; 71st Highland Light Infantry; 74th Highland Regiment; 82nd Prince of Wales Volunteers; 83rd; 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers; 88th Connaught Rangers; 92nd Gordon Highlanders; 94th; 95th Derbyshire.

Pyrenees.—The rout at Vittoria gave Wellington possession of the passes of the Pyrenees, and when in 1849 it was decided to decorate the surviving soldiers of the Peninsular War, all those who had taken part in the series of extraordinary actions in the Pyrenees, Roncesvalles, Maya, Santarem, and Buenzas, from July 28th to August 2nd, 1813, were awarded the medal with bar inscribed PYRENEES, and those who were entitled to the medal for other actions received the additional bar. Napoleon ordered his brother to retire into private life and instructed the officials not to pay him the respect due to a monarch. Soult was ordered to take up the command, and did so with a zest and ability that has called forth the admiration of all who recognise in the dread game of war that sportsmanlike character which thoughtfully dares all and takes its rebuffs with a smile.

Siege of Sebastian.—Meanwhile, Wellington instructed the Spanish Generals to blockade the fortress of Pampeluna, and besieged San Sebastian, which was blockaded by the British Navy on July 3rd, and invested by the troops under Sir Thomas Graham on the 9th. During this, the first siege of San Sebastian, a Frenchman states that on the 19th and 20th for fifteen hours the British fired 350 shots per gun. On the 24th General Graham ordered the assault, and the way was led by Colin Campbell (afterwards Lord Clyde) of the 9th, and Machet the engineer. Campbell, doing many a daring deed, saw all his friends dead round him, while he, seriously wounded, was spared to achieve greater things. In this assault 44 officers of the line and 500 men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The battalion of the Royal Scots present alone lost 87 killed and 246 wounded in the unsuccessful assault. In the meantime Marshal Soult, who had reached Bayonne on July 13th to take command of the united French army, attacked Major-General Byng's brigade at Roncesvalles on the 25th, while Count D'Erlon proceeded to attack Sir Rowland Hill in the Pass of Maya, where very desperate fighting ensued. The fighting at Roncesvalles and Maya continued until nine in the evening, when it was deemed advisable to abandon the Pass of Maya to the enemy.

Gallantry of Gordons at Maya.—In the day's fighting the allies lost 1,600 men and 4 guns. In the Pass of Maya the British troops had been engaged for ten hours, and it is noteworthy that the 92nd Gordon Highlanders, being without ammunition, although ordered by General Stewart not to charge, could not be restrained, and not only charged, but led a charge against the enemy. In this engagement the 92nd lost 1 officer and 34 men killed, and 18 officers and 268 men wounded, one wing being practically annihilated. Napier states in his history of the war that "so dreadful was the slaughter, especially of the 92nd, that it is said the advancing enemy was actually stopped by the heaped dead and dying. The stern valour of the 92nd, principally composed of Scotsmen, would have graced Thermopylæ." In this sanguinary combat the 82nd also particularly distinguished itself.

BRONZE MEDAL TO BRITISH GERMAN LEGION FOR PENINSULAR WAR.

SILVER MEDAL TO HANSEATIC LEGION, 1813-15.

PRUSSIAN MEDALS FOR NAPOLEONIC WARS.

On the 28th the British were attacked in position on a mountain ridge between the valleys of the Lanz and the Guy, with Byng's brigade in reserve on the second ridge of Huerta, and the 6th division adjoining; the latter had scarcely got into position, when General Clausel attacked it from the Sorauren side; the fight became general, and 27th and 48th Regiments, charging, "rolled back the enemy in disorder, and threw them headlong down the mountain side." With admirable heroism the French soldiers returned three times to the charge, but their efforts could not avail against the dogged determination of the allied troops. In this affair every regiment in the 4th division, the 40th, 7th, 20th, and 23rd, charged four times, while Major-General Ross had two horses shot under him. On the 29th the rival armies were inactive, Soult apparently considering his plans for the relief of Pampeluna and San Sebastian. He decided to abandon any advance on the former, and proceeded to relieve San Sebastian, but by masterly manœuvres Wellington checkmated his opponent, and compelled him to abandon the endeavour, and on August 2nd the French troops evacuated Spain at all points.

For nine days the armies had confronted one another, and the allies had lost in the different actions no less than 7,096 officers and men killed and wounded, while the aggregate loss of the French is put down at 15,000. At the conclusion of this series of conflicts Sir William Stewart was wounded, and Wellington narrowly escaped being taken prisoner by a French detachment which surprised him whilst studying a map; the French Commander-in-Chief, Soult, also narrowly escaped with his liberty.

St. Sebastian.—While Soult and Wellington had been busily engaged, General Rey, the Governor of San Sebastian, had employed himself in strengthening the city and castle, so that when the second siege was renewed on August 5th, 1813, he was in a position to make a very desperate defence. Many inactive days were spent, to the chagrin of Wellington, who complained of the exceeding inactivity of the navy, which compelled him to lose more than half of August. However, by the 26th he had breaching guns and mortars in position, and with these he opened fire upon the city, and as a result 250 yards of the walls were reduced to ruins; but it was not until the night between August 30th and 31st that the place was assaulted. Then, again, the British soldier gave proof of his cool bearing, not once, but again and again. At 8 a.m. the town was bombarded by all the batteries, and the fire was kept up until 11 a.m., when the order for the assault was given. A storming party of 750 volunteers was asked for from the 1st, 4th, and light divisions, "men who could show other troops how to mount a breach." They successfully passed one danger which destroyed a party of thirteen that had rushed to cut the saucisson of a mine, to die in mounting the great breach. At the sea wall hundreds of the British were killed by the explosion of a mine, and then "began a frightful slaughter," for there was hardly another conflict so desperate and so sanguinary as that which took place at the storming of the great breach; "the appearance of the breach was perfectly delusive; nothing living could reach the summit; no courage, however desperate, could overcome the difficulties, for they were alike unexpected and unsurmountable." The officers encouraged their men by word and action, "crowd after crowd were seen to mount, totter, and to fall, and at length the whole mass sank to the bottom of the breach, but remained stubborn and immovable on this lower part." General Graham, beholding this, resorted to an unparalleled expedient by ordering all the breaching batteries to fire over the stormers' heads on to the inner wall. This daring inspiration saved the situation, for the terrible storm of missiles, passing over the heads of the British troops, did their deadly work by demolishing the defences, and killing or driving away the defenders. Another furious effort was made upon the breach, and when this seemed as though it must fail, explosions occurred all along the enemy's defences, and the British soldiery, breaking into the first traverse, poured through the town, pushed past the barricades, which the defenders could not hold even for a few moments in face of the impetuous stormers, who were, however, compelled to leave the castle unattacked. In this terrible conflict the chief engineer, Sir Richard Fletcher, was killed; Burgoyne, the second engineer, wounded; also Generals Sir James Leith, Oswald, and Robinson. The total loss of the besiegers on the day of the capture was 761 killed, 1,697 wounded, and 45 missing. The castle was pluckily defended, but on the 8th was reduced to ruins, and the garrison, surrendering, were allowed to march out, the brave Rey at their head, with all the honours of war. The siege had lasted seventy-three days, during which time nine assaults had been made. The disgraceful scenes of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz were surpassed at San Sebastian by the addition of revolting cruelty to the excesses of drunkenness, and the crimes of rape and murder.

The regiments engaged in the siege and capture were 200 of the Guards; 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 36th, 38th, 40th, 43rd, 47th, 48th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 59th, 68th, 82nd, 85th, 87th, 88th, and 95th, but only the Royal Scots, 4th, 9th, 38th, 47th, and 59th Regiments, are permitted to carry ST. SEBASTIAN on their colours.

Chateauguay.—This battle, fought on October 26th, 1813, occurred during the military campaign in America. Having achieved a series of successes, the Americans concentrated about 18,000 regulars and 10,000 militia at Sackett's Harbour. Sir George Prevost, thinking it expedient, quitted Kingston and proceeded to the capital, whilst Sir R. Skeaffe assembled as many troops as he possibly could, 8,000 militia readily responding to the call. Major-General Hampton, commanding the eastern division of the United States army, crossed the Canadian border with 8,000 men on October 21st, having arranged to co-operate with General Wilkinson, who was in command of about 10,000 men, but through some misunderstanding the two forces were unable to combine, and on October 26th General Hampton found himself faced by a body of 800 men, under Lieutenant-Colonel De Salaberry, who disposed his little army so admirably that he not only caused the enemy a severe loss, but compelled Hampton to fall back to Plattsburgh, from which he "had not the resolution again to return to the frontier."

Those engaged in this affair were the Canadian Fencible Light Infantry, Canadian Militia, two companies of Voltigeurs, some Indians, and Royal Artillery.

The Peninsular Gold Cross.—The long-drawn character of the Peninsular War, and the frequent general engagements which called for recognition, occasioned the recipients of the gold medals inconvenience in wearing them; in consequence the names of battles were sometimes engraved on the medals as suggested in Wellington's dispatch of October 1st, 1811, dated from Richoso. Subsequently an order was issued from the Horse Guards, on October 7th, 1813, to the effect that amended regulations would be adopted in the grant and circulation of marks of distinction, i.e. medals. The regulations set forth that (1st) only one medal should be borne by each officer, (2nd) that for the second and third events a gold clasp attached to a ribbon, from which the medal is suspended, inscribed with the name of the battle or siege to which it relates. These bars, which were unconnected, were 2 in. long by ⅗ in. broad, with laureated edges, the names of the battles being soldered on. They were pierced and lapped bright. (3rd) That upon a claim being admitted to a fourth mark of distinction, a cross shall be borne by each officer with the names of the four battles or sieges respectively inscribed thereupon, and to be worn in substitution of the distinctions previously granted. (4th) That upon each occasion of a similar nature, that may occur subsequent to the grant of the cross, the clasp shall again be issued to those who have a claim to the distinction. The following officers were eligible for the distinction: General Officers, Commanding Officers of Brigades, Commanding Officers of Artillery and Engineers, Adjutant-General and Quartermaster-General, also Assistant Adjutant-General and Quartermaster-General ranking with Field Officers; Military Secretary having the rank of Field Officer, Commanding Officers of Battalions or Corps equivalent thereto, and Officers who may have succeeded to the actual command during an engagement, owing to the death or removal of the original Commanding Officer.

(Obverse) WATERLOO MEDAL.

ARMY OF INDIA MEDAL.

(Reverse.) WATERLOO MEDAL.

The cross (see facing page [44]), Maltese in form, is 1½ in. square, with a bright lapped double border framing a laurel mount. In the centre in bold relief is the British Lion statant, and on the four arms of the cross are arranged the names of the battles the recipient was engaged in. The name of the first battle is arranged in the space above the Lion. The obverse and reverse are similar; the cross was suspended from a crimson ribbon with blue edges—the regulation ribbon at this time—1⁷∕₁₀ in. wide, by means of a gold swivel and laureated ring, connected to the cross by means of a gold loop and ornamentation. The names and regiments of recipients were engraved on the edges of the arms of the cross.

Number Issued.—The Duke of Wellington received the only cross with 9 bars, representing 13 engagements; two were issued with 7 bars; three with 6 bars; seven with 5 bars; eight with 4 bars; seventeen with 3 bars; eighteen with 2 bars; forty-six with 1 bar, and sixty-one the cross alone. Eighty-five large gold medals were issued, and 599 small gold ones. One hundred and forty-three bore 1 bar, and seventy-two 2 bars, leaving four hundred and sixty-nine medals without bars or clasps.

Nivelle.—For nearly six cold and inclement weeks after the fall of San Sebastian, Wellington remained inactive in the Pyrenees, the troops suffering considerably in the bleak situation. Then began the operation which has been described as one of the boldest of the war. Wellington determined to seize the great La Rhune mountain, 2,700 ft. high, which stood between the Nivelle and Bidassoa valleys and the dependent heights; by so doing he could menace the centre of the French line, and cross the border. Soult lost his head, and called upon the French peoples of the provinces to take up arms and war "to the knife." Wellington coolly responded by informing the inhabitants that England did not make war upon the people, but upon their ruler, who did not allow others to remain at peace, and impressed upon his soldiers that any acts of violence or marauding would be punished by death. Early on the morning of October 7th, 1814, the British made their first movement by crossing the mouth of the Bidassoa River—a feat classed among the ablest and boldest of Wellington's operations; the enemy were taken by surprise, and the British carried everything before them. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the famous exploit of Lieutenant William Havelock, "El Chico Blanco," took place. He had been sent by General Baron Alten to see the progress that Marshal Giron's Spaniards had made, and finding them irresolute, despite their previous successes, his fiery spirit could not brook the check. Taking off his hat, he called upon the Spaniards to follow him, set spurs to his horse, and cleared the abattis at a bound. "Then," wrote Napier, "the soldiers, shouting for 'El Chico Blanco' (the fair boy)—so they called him, for he was young and had light hair—with one shock broke through the French, and at the very moment when their centre was flying under the fire of Kempt's skirmishers from the Puerto de Vera." (Lieutenant-Colonel Havelock, elder brother of Sir Henry Havelock, was born on January 23rd, 1793, and killed while leading the 14th Light Dragoons—"450 sabres against an army amounting to more than 15,000 men with heavy cannon"—at Ramnuggur, November 22nd, 1848.) In three days the allies lost 814 men, and the French 1,400, but the victorious allies were now on French soil, and working well together, the Spaniards rising to the occasion as success succeeded success. For some days the armies were inactive; Wellington was getting ready to resume the offensive, while Soult was preparing to attack. The enemy, however, attacked, and carried a redoubt in the camp of Sarre held by the Spaniards. They then attacked, on the morning of the 13th, the advance posts of the army of Andalusia, under the command of Marshal Giron, but were easily repulsed. Ultimately the French retreated in confusion towards the bridge of Nivelle, and on November 10th the battle of La Nivelle was fought. It was a beautiful morning, and it must have been a grand sight to see the army of 90,000 men descend to the battle. "Three guns pealed from the mountain heights of Achubia ... and the battle of the Nivelle commenced." Driven from the centre, many of the French troops crossed the Nivelle at St. Pè, while Major-General Colville, with the 3rd division, and General Le Cor with the 7th, drove off those who held the heights above, and established the allied army on the rear of the enemy's right. Night ended the battle, and under cover of the darkness Soult withdrew his army and abandoned the position he had been fortifying for three months. On the 12th he took up his position in front of the camp at Bayonne. In this engagement the allies took 1,400 prisoners, 51 pieces of cannon, and 6 tumbrils of ammunition. The French also lost 2,000 men killed and wounded.

In his dispatch Wellington particularly referred to the gallant conduct of the 51st and 68th Regiments in the attack on the heights above St. Pè. The allies lost 26 officers, including Lieutenant-Colonel Lloyd of the 94th, 28 sergeants, 289 rank and file; 155 officers, including Major-General Kempt, and 2,146 men wounded; 3 officers and 70 men missing.

The following regiments were present in the engagements leading up to the battle of Nivelle. 1st and 2nd Batts. Foot Guards; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 28th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 36th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 47th, 48th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 66th, 68th, 71st (did not take active part), 74th, 76th, 79th, 82nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 87th, 88th, 91st, 92nd, 94th, and 95th; the Rifle Brigade; 12th, 13th, 14th, and 18th Light Dragoons, and the 1st and 2nd Light Battalions, also the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Line Battalions of the King's German Legion.

Chrystler's Farm.—The day following the battle of Nivelle in France saw a victory for British arms in Canada at Chrystler's Point, commonly called Chrystler's Farm. This battle was a sequel to that at Chateauguay. I have referred to the fact that the American General Wilkinson, with his army of 10,000 men, had failed to combine with Major-General Hampton, but by November 3rd he landed a portion of his troops near Point Iroquois, to which place the British General dispatched a force of 800 regulars and militia, under Colonel Morrison, to stop the advance. Meeting 3,000 men who had been landed under Major-General Boyd at Chrystler's Farm, Colonel Morrison's little army routed them after a fight lasting two and a half hours, with a loss of 250 killed and wounded, besides 100 prisoners and one gun. The effect of the action at Chrystler's Farm was to compel the enemy to evacuate Lower Canada.

Men of the 49th and 2nd Battalion 89th Regiments, the Royal Artillery, Canadian Militia, Fencibles and Voltigeurs, likewise a few Indians, were engaged in this battle. As comparatively few regulars took part in the American battles, Fort Detroit, Chateauguay, and Chrystler's Farm, and because they were awarded so many years after, medals to British regiments bearing these bars are very rare, as indeed are those of the Colonials who took part.

NASSAU MEDAL FOR WATERLOO.

HANOVERIAN MEDAL FOR WATERLOO.

Nive.—Soult, having lost the Nivelle, withdrew his army to Anglet, and formed a line of defence with his unfinished fortified camp in front of Bayonne. Wellington, owing to the bad weather—the 12th was very foggy, and rain fell in torrents from the 11th until the 20th November—was unable to move, and was consequently constrained to maintain the allied army in very close quarters. The bad weather abating, the British commander determined to enlarge the productive area for his army by forcing the line of the Nive, and taking up a position on the left bank of the Adour, where reasonable subsistence could be found for the allied army. The time had not passed tamely, for in pressing the posts slowly forward, Generals Wilson and Vandeleur were wounded, while the light division alone lost 100 men. On December 8th the troops made a forward movement, and on the 9th the Nive was crossed near Cambo by the right of the army under Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill, while the 6th division, under Lieutenant-General Sir H. Clinton, successfully passed at Ustaritz, and by this manœuvre the enemy were driven from the right bank of the river, and retired towards Bayonne by the great road of St. Jean Pied de Port. Those opposite Cambo were nearly intercepted by the 6th division, one regiment being driven from the road and compelled to march across country.

On December 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, Soult made a series of determined and often desperate attacks upon the British divisions, but without success, and was ultimately forced to fall back upon Bayonne, leaving the courses of the Nivelle, Nive, and Adour in the possession of the allies, who were thus enabled to obtain plentiful supplies for their needs, while the enemy were harassed by having their communications threatened and supplies restricted. During the conflicts between the 9th and 13th the French lost about 6,000 killed and wounded, and two guns. The British losses were 650 officers (including 6 Generals) and men killed; 233 officers, 215 sergeants, and 3,459 rank and file wounded; 17 officers, 14 sergeants, and 473 rank and file missing.

The battle on December 13th, which determined the series of conflicts, was practically fought and won by the corps under Sir Rowland Hill—indeed the glory of the day was frankly given him by Wellington, who, taking him by the hand, said, "My dear Hill, the day is your own." There could be little doubt about that, for on the heights of St. Pierre—with only 16,000 men and 14 guns—he defied and drove off 35,000 French bayonets and 22 guns which assailed him in front, and the corps (8,000) of General Paris, with the Light Cavalry under Pierre Soult, which threatened his rear. The battle was regarded on both sides as "one of the most sanguinary that the French Army of Spain had fought, and that there was not one where so many deaths took place on the battlefield." No wonder the enemy never again took the offensive!

The following regiments were present in the series of engagements: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Foot Guards; 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, and 18th Light Dragoons; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 20th, 23rd, 27th, 28th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 36th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 47th, 48th, 50th, 52nd, 53rd, 57th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 66th, 71st, 74th, 76th, 79th, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 87th, 88th, 91st, 92nd, 94th, 95th, and the Rifle Brigade. Many of the regiments particularly distinguished themselves on the day of victory; notably the 92nd, which, scattering light troops that should have checked them, charged and repulsed a column; re-forming behind St. Pierre, they again advanced with colours flying and pibroch sounding, as if going to a review, and offered battle to a French column five times their superior: the challenge was, however, declined, for like Napier the French commanding officer recognised that men who could act so understood war.

Orthes.—On February 27th, 1814, the battle of Orthes (Orthez) was fought. A period of inaction had again been forced on Wellington by the severity of the weather, but by the second week in February the conditions were such as to make the roads passable, and the British commander proceeded to follow up his successes. Several minor, but in some instances obstinate, engagements, were fought, among them that of Garris, where Wellington, determined to force the passage of the Bidouse, ordered the 29th, with the 28th in support, to carry a bold hill, occupied by 4,000 of the enemy, before dark. This they did in a brilliant manner. Soult, finding the enemy pressing him rather forcibly, crossed the Gave d'Olèron in the night, and marching rapidly to Sauveterre, took up a position on the left of the Gave, while Wellington, having strongly established his right upon the Gave d'Olèron, returned to St. Jean de Luz to superintend the putting together of the remarkable and "wondrous bridge," which had been devised to enable the army to cross the Adour, 3 miles below Bayonne. On the 25th Sir John Hope crossed with his whole corps for the investment of the fortress; meanwhile Wellington was acting vigorously at Gaves, and General Hill was ready to force the passage of the Gave d'Olèron, which he did on the 24th, while Picton crossed between Montfort and Lass; other divisions having made equal progress, Marshal Soult withdrew his army across the Gave du Pau, and determined to make a final stand at Orthez. There, on the semicircular heights, the army of about 40,000 stood at bay, while the allies with about 37,000 men advanced to the attack. They were irresistible, but Soult retreated in a masterly manner, defending his divisions with splendid valour at each ridge they passed. Once forced on to the plain, they fell into disorder, and, charged and pursued by the British cavalry, they hastened to the river, over which they passed in scattered parties, and Soult retreated towards Toulouse, where the last and most unnecessary battle of the campaign was to be fought. It is estimated that 8,000 men were lost to the French in killed and wounded, while the allies lost 18 officers, 25 sergeants, and 234 men killed; 134 officers (including the Duke of Wellington), 89 sergeants, and 1,700 rank and file wounded; 1 officer, 5 sergeants, and 64 men missing.

The following regiments were present: 3rd, 7th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 18th Light Dragoons; 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 28th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 36th, 37th, 39th, 40th, 42nd, 45th, 48th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 57th, 58th, 60th, 61st, 66th, 68th, 71st, 74th, 82nd, 83rd, 87th, 88th, 91st, 92nd, 94th, 95th, and the Rifle Brigade. The 7th Hussars (Light Dragoons) distinguished themselves in the neighbourhood of Sault de Navailles, and made a charge under Lord Edward Somerset which Wellington described as "highly meritorious." The 52nd Oxford Light Infantry were also mentioned in dispatches.

Toulouse.—On April 10th, 1814, the sanguinary and unnecessary battle of Toulouse was fought, for the allies had entered Paris on March 31st, and Napoleon had abdicated. It is alleged that Soult fought the battle out of personal vanity or pique, since he had news—on April 7th—of what had happened in Paris. It was perhaps his last desperate effort for his master. However, this last battle of the Peninsular War was fought with terrible determination on both sides; but when the range of heights had been carried by the British, and the redoubts of the city won, Soult abandoned the town of Toulouse with 3 Generals and 1,600 men "prisoners at the generosity of the conqueror." The allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish armies lost in killed and wounded about 4,650, the latter including Generals Brisbane, Pack, Mendizabel, and Espelette, while the French had 5 generals and 3,234 men placed hors de combat. These numbers include, British losses, 31 officers and 563 men killed; 248 officers and 3,898 men wounded; 3 officers and 15 men missing.

PRUSSIAN JUBILEE MEDAL GIVEN BY WILHELM I IN 1863 TO VETERANS OF 1813-14-15 CAMPAIGNS.

JUBILEE MEDAL GIVEN BY THE CITY OF HANOVER TO VETERANS OF WATERLOO.

"ST. HELENA MEDAL" GIVEN BY NAPOLEON III TO SURVIVORS OF WATERLOO AND THE NAPOLEONIC WARS.

In storming the redoubts the 42nd Black Watch, which had the honour of leading the attack, displayed their usual courage, but the withering fire from the defenders was such that in a short time it would have annihilated the regiment; indeed, out of the 500 who went into action, scarcely 90 reached the redoubt, from which the enemy fled, but these "leapt over the trenches like a pack of hungry hounds in pursuit." Two officers and sixty men of inferior rank were all that remained unwounded of the right wing of the regiment that entered the field in the morning. During the battle the standard of the regiment had passed through the hands of three wounded officers, until it was borne by a sergeant and defended by a few men. The 42nd, likewise the 36th, 79th, and 61st, who also lost considerable numbers, were mentioned in Wellington's dispatches. The 13th Light Dragoons, the 14th and 15th Dragoons, and the 18th Hussars, were also mentioned for gallant conduct during the advance on Toulouse.

The regiments represented at the battle were: 2 squadrons of the 1st and 2nd Life Guards and Horse Guards; 1st Dragoons; 3rd and 5th Dragoon Guards; 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 18th Light Dragoons; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th, 20th, 23rd, 27th, 28th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 36th, 39th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 48th, 50th, 52nd, 53rd, 57th, 60th, 61st, 66th, 71st, 74th, 79th, 83rd, 87th, 88th, 91st, 92nd, 94th, and 95th.

Rewards for Generals.—On May 30th, 1814, a treaty of peace was signed between Great Britain and France, Louis XVIII having been restored, and Napoleon permitted to retire to the Isle of Elba, where the allies allowed him to reign as sovereign. The Duke of Wellington was raised to the rank and dignity of a Duke and Marquis of the United Kingdom; Parliament suggested an annuity of £10,000, to be "paid annually out of the consolidated fund for the use of the Duke of Wellington, to be at any time commuted for the sum of £300,000 to be laid out in the purchase of an estate," but the sum was objected to as being too small, and an additional £100,000 was voted. Wellington's lieutenants—Generals Hope, Graham, Cotton, Rowland Hill, and Beresford—were also rewarded by pecuniary grants, and raised to the peerage.

Nothing for Officers and Soldiers.—The majority of the officers and all the men who had participated in this seven years' campaign were, notwithstanding the generosity of the nation to the leaders, left undecorated, and, irony of ironies, the Commander-in-Chief, who had shed tears at the loss of brave soldiers, and who had been so well rewarded, raised his voice against the bestowal of decorations upon the men who had fought and bled with him!

CONTINENTAL PENINSULAR MEDALS

Alcantara Medal.—For the battle of Alcantara a medal of gold was given to some of the officers, and Dr. Payne has in his collection one awarded to Brigadier-General William Mayne, K.T.S., late Colonel Loyal Lusitana Legion, which by his kindness I am able to illustrate. It is 1⁷∕₂₀ in. in diameter, enclosed in a gold-rimmed glass case, suspended from a gold-hinged waved bar 1⁷∕₁₀ in. long by a salmon-pink ribbon 1½ in. wide, with a gold buckle attached thereto. On the obverse is engraved an outstretched sleeved arm and hand, below is the word CUIDADO, and above an eye, the whole within a wreath of palm and olive. On the reverse is the inscription, in bold Roman capitals, AL MERITO, and underneath, in script, "De la Juntade Gobierno y guerra de la Villa de Alcantara MDCCCIX." On the rim the name of the recipient is engraved in Spanish: AL CORONEL MAYNE DE LA LEAL LEGION LUZITANA.

Gold Cross for Albuhera.[4]—On March 1st, 1815, it was decided by the Spanish Government to issue a cross to Generals, officers, and men of the army of Estremadura, who had distinguished themselves at the battle of Albuhera on March 16th, 1811. This is an oblong, four-pointed cross of gold enamelled red, the points terminating in gold knobs, having red enamelled gold-edged flames issuing between the arms of the cross. In the centre of the cross, on a white enamelled ground, is the letter F in script, with VII in gold, surrounded by a frosted gold oval band bearing the inscription in bright gold letters AL BUHE RA. The cross is suspended from a squat green enamelled laurel wreath, to which is fixed a gold loop and ring for attachment to the ribbon, which is 1½ in. wide, and red with blue edges.

[4] Should be Albuera, but is spelt ALBUHERA on cross, also bars.

Gold Cross for Vittoria.—On April 22nd, 1815, a gold enamelled cross was instituted in Spain for presentation to officers to commemorate the battle of Vittoria, June 21st, 1813. The battle was won by the division of the 4th Corps of the Army, under the command of the Captain-General, the Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo (Wellington), and Field-Marshal D. Francisco Thomas de Longa. The cross is 1⅕ in. in diameter, and enamelled white with a red four-pointed star (see facing page [36]), and between the cross, which is enamelled the same both sides, is a green enamelled laurel wreath; the cross is suspended from a gold Spanish crown surmounted by an orb ensigned with a gold fleur-de-lis; the ring for attachment to the ribbon being run through the ball. On the obverse is a white enamelled circle with gold borders encircling a red irradiated ground, whereon are three gold crossed swords, with a gold ribbon (inverted) bearing the motto IRURAG BAT. On the reverse, on a domed gold ground, is the legend in raised stamped letters, arranged in three lines, RECOMPENSA DE LA BATALLA DE VITTORIA. This cross depends from a 1½ in. ribbon composed of equal stripes of black, crimson, and pale blue.

Gold Cross for Commanders.—This gold cross, as the illustration facing page [28] shows, is star-like in form, but owing to the number of engagements recorded the number of arms varies. This particular cross, weighing nearly 2 oz., was awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Brunton, of the 13th Light Dragoons, late of the Portuguese Service, and forms part of the great collection of Dr. A. A. Payne. The cross was instituted by King John VI of Portugal, on July 26th, 1816, and was given to British officers who served on the Portuguese Staff during the Peninsular War, and who were in command of divisions, brigades, or regiments. The arms of this cross, enamelled white, have double points terminating in gold beads, resting on a blue enamelled band bearing a gold wreath of laurel; on each of the arms is a green enamelled torpedo-shaped overlay, each recording the name of an action in which the recipient was engaged: a gold scroll forms the attachment for the loop which carries the broad red ribbon, edged with blue, by which the cross was suspended from the neck. On the obverse a small gold bust of King John occupies the centre, which is enamelled light blue surrounded by a conventional continuous border of leaves. On the reverse, within a similar band, but on a white enamelled ground, are the initials of the recipient. Sir Denis Pack was awarded the cross with eleven actions recorded on it.

Officers' Gold Crosses.—King John VI also instituted, on July 26th, 1816, an officer's cross for bestowal upon those officers who had participated in all or any of the six campaigns which were fought during the Peninsular War. The cross of gold was awarded to all who fought in at least three campaigns, crosses of silver being given to those who had only been engaged in one or two. The cross illustrated was given to Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Brunton, for service in four campaigns. It has four ornamental arms, 1¹¹∕₂₀ in. long, resting upon a green enamelled laurel wreath. In the centre of the obverse are the arms of Portugal in gold on a convex ground, surrounded by a blue enamelled circle, with the inscription GUERRA PENINSULAR. On the reverse is a continuous gold wreath of laurel, enclosing the pierced Roman numerals indicative of the total campaigns in which the recipient was engaged. The loop to carry the broad red blue-edged ribbon is attached to the cross by means of an inverted husk of gold. The gold cross, awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edward Brackenbury, differs somewhat from that awarded to Colonel Burton. The arms on the obverse of the cross are 1⁷∕₂₀ in. long, and the coat-of-arms is of a somewhat different character, and is not surmounted by a crown. On the reverse the single gold pierced figure 4 is within a blue enamelled circle. A gold ball and swivel bar are used for attachment to a blue watered ribbon 1⅗ in. wide.

Officer's Silver Cross.—This was of the same size as Lieutenant-Colonel Brackenbury's, and suspended from a gold swivel bar, but the ribbon for suspension was blue silk ribbed, with broad pale yellow borders; the width 1⅗ in.

Crosses for Ciudad Rodrigo.—These were instituted on December 6th, 1819, for bestowal upon those who had distinguished themselves at the sorties on July 10th, 1810. They were given in gold to officers and in silver to privates who comprised the garrison. The cross has four arms, with blue enamelled edges tipped with gold beads. On the obverse is a gold tower, with rays issuing therefrom, upon a red enamelled ground enclosed by a white enamelled oval band. On the reverse is an inscription in gold letters upon a white enamelled ground, VALOR ACREDITADO EN CIUDAD RODRIGO. (See facing page [36].)