Fighting the Tyrant

The administrative accounts of Sir John Freeman from the War against Napoleon Bonaparte

1805

We have been at war with the armies of General Bonaparte and his allies now since 1803 and it has been a long and bitter struggle in which great renown has been won for us in Egypt and for the enemy in Italy. But now the war is in full throw, our economy and policy entirely devoted towards it. However this last year has been anything but an easy one for his Britannic Majesty.

Our fleets have long been raiding and blockading the French ports of Brittany and we have been continuing this policy.

In the spring of this year, 1805, a large Spanish brigade under General Joaquin marched into the province of Gibraltar and laid siege to the city. Colonel Calum Conham surrendered the city to the Spanish in the hope of getting his men, from the 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th foot and 1st and 4th light dragoon regiments, to safety by two British sloops anchored in the harbour. However after occupying the city the Dagos pursued Conham and cut him off from his ships. The Sloops were ejected from the harbour by the Spanish troops and pursued by several armed merchant men out, west, of the straights. Conham marched his men up the eastern coast, all the while pursued by General Joquain. As he and his men neared the border between Gibralter and Spain, Joquain and his brigade caught up with them. Colonel Calum Conham met the Spanish in battle at a location currently unknown to me.

There Conham made a stand. The first few minutes of the engagement saw his light dragoons cut down to a man after engaging with a much larger body of Dagos. As the Spanish companies closed in upon the British line, a stary shot from the enemy struck down Colonel Conham, killing him outright. After this our line crumbled and the redcoats fled.

Command of the four remaining half sized companies fell to Major Nathan Thornhill. General Joquain continued the march and eventually trapped Thornhill and his men on the coast line, bringing them to battle around early May. Thornhill was killed along with most of his men save for a small few who surrendered and now languish in Spanish prisons.

One of the two sloops was sunk attempting to navigate the Penninsula, whilst the other was captured by the Spanish. This put an end to British interests in oppsing Spain by land from the Gibralter base, however it is still policy to frustrate Spanish ambition as much as possible.

That Summer, however, the war took a turn in our favour. An envoy from His Imperial Majesty, Alexander, the Tzar of all the Russias arrived in London with a proposal that we use our large and well trained army to invade Brittany. With Brittany in British hands it would be possible to cut off Paris from her overseas colonies and her ally Spain. General Sir John Moore was chosen to lead the mission. He was given a brigade, composed of the 1st (including light company), 2nd, 3rd (Kings German Legion), 4th, 8th, 9th and 10th regiments of foot, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Light Dragoons, nine 6Iber guns and six 9Iber guns. They Landed at St Malo and marched on Rennes, Brittany. The city gates were opened to them by the frightened populace and the city was peacefully occupied.

A couple of months later the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th light dragoons and the fifteen artillery pieces were sent to capture the city of Caen in Normandy. Again the gates were opened to our troops with no resistance from the inhabitants whatsoever, allowing for a controlled occupation with no looting or such sort.

The French navy had ceased to function as an effective fighting force thanks to Vice Admiral Nelson, and the Batavian and Spanish Colonial navies were all that was left to threaten our shipping. Secure in the knowledge that the Channel, North sea and Bay of Biscay were now effectivly safe waters to travel on, another plan was forged, this time even more abitious than the last.

Whilst Gibralter had still been British, the Sloop Zebra had been sent to the Balearic isles to scout them out as a possible mediteranean base in the Pacfic. The plan was to land General Micheal Stowell at Cap Ferret in Aquitaine with a Brigade of men. They would battle their way across the Pyrenees mountain range whilst a large fleet of fifth rates would be dispatched to sail round Spain to the Balearic isles. If the fleet did not appear in Catalonia by early winter then Stowell had orders to seize the Spanish city of Barcelona with his Brigade. They would winter there and work on building several small boats that would carry a battalion of men to the Balearic isles (which by all acounts were ungarissoned by the Dagos).

Stowell and his Brigade (the 7th, 11th, 12th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 24th and 25th Highland regiments of foot, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th regiment of foot's light companies and the 14th, 15th, 16th (bedfords), 17th, 18th and 19th regiments of foot) were dispatched from Chatham docks to Portsmouth where they were picked up by the fleet of ten fifth rates. They landed at Cap Ferret a month later and the fleet left them and headed towards the coast of Portugal.

A week or so after he had landed Stowell and his brigade were facing off against Marshal Ney and a far larger Brigade of Frenchmen. Stowell was brought to battle by the Frenchforce near Agen and he calmly formed his men into one long line three men deep. He greatly outflanked the Frenchmen and as they came of, artillery on each flank, the British line held its own. Our lads enveloped the French infantry, saw off the French cavalry before breaking in two and pursuing the artillery from the field. Marshal Ney was caught unawares by one of the skirmishing light companies and was felled by a flying musket ball. Stowell on the otherhand showed him self clever, corageous and popular as he rode through the thick of the fighting inspiring his men and hacking down Frenchmen. It was a spectacular victory and enough to get Stowell across the Pyrenees untroubled and to the gates of Barcelona where, threatened with bloody siege at the height of winter, the Catalonians opened the city gates to him and allowed Barcelona to be occupied without bloodshed.

Meanwhile the fleet sailing for the south of the penninsula was attacked by the Dutch treasure fleet and forced to retire back to Brest.

1806 Jan-Jul

As Spring began to brake in, it appeared that the Spanish did not prize Barcelona enough to think it worth retaking. However General Bonaparte clearly did regard it as a threat. Wether it was because Stowell had killed one of his best Marshals, the Brigade had marched practically unoposped through the French countryside, he guessed or knew what the purpose of the expedition was or (probably the most unlikely) he was helping out his Spanish allies we shall never know. All we do know is that General Napoleon Bonaparte crossed the Rio Noguera Ribagorzana, which runs along the Catalonia Aragon border, with a brigade of French troops and laid siege to the city. Before he arrived the 3rd Militia was dispatched to the Tarragona docks to protect the ships being constructed from French raiders.

Stowell sallied out against Bonaparte only a week after the besiegers had arrived. In the battle the French were utterly crushed with the British line folding over on the French right flank. In the battle General Bonaparte and his Staff found themselves caught off guard by several Highland and light companies who had been dispatched to deal with the French artillery (bayonets fixed). Boney was dragged from his horse by a big scot of the 12th highland regiment, however the faithful Ali leaped from his horse, fought off several redcoats and dragged his general onto his own horse before riding off. But a good crack form a light company shot down his horse and he and Bonaparte were forced into hiding. The French were utterly broken and soon even the light horse who had accomponied the besiegers as raiders were driven back into aragon.

Recent copies of several Parisian papers state that Bonaparte is now in Paris and on his way to recovery.

1806 August - troop summary

Dublin, Ireland

• 2nd Regiment of Militia (120 men)

York, England

• 1st Horse guards - kings dragoon guards (45 men)
• 2nd Horse guards - dragoon guards Queen's bays (45 men)

Chatham Docks, England

• 5th regiment of foot - Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (light company) (90men)
• 6th regiment of foot - Royal Warwickshire (light company) (90men)
• 7th regiment of foot - Royal Fusiliers (light company) (90men)
• 8th regiment of foot - The King's Liverpool (light company) (90men)
• 26th regiment of foot - Cameronian (120 men)
• 27th regiment of foot - Inniskilling (120 men) 
• 28th regiment of foot - North Gloucester (120 men)
• six 9Iber guns
• twelve 6Iber guns

Rennes, Brittany

• General Sir John Moore - staff (17 officers)
• 3rd Kings German Legion- KGL (118 men)
• 1st regiment of foot - Royal (95 men and light company 90men)
• 2nd regiment of foot - Queen's royal (95men)
• 4th regiment of foot - King's Own (95men)
• 8th regiment of foot - The King's (81men)
• 9th regiment of foot - East Norfolk (109men)
• 10th regiment of foot - North Lincoln (120men)

Caen, Normandy

• 1st Light horse - royal dragoons (45 men)
• 2nd Light horse - royal scots greys (45 men)
• 3rd Light horse - King's own hussars (45 men)
• 4th Light horse - Queen's own hussars (45 men)
• six 9Iber guns
• twelve 6Iber guns

Barcelona, Catalonia

• General Michael Stowell - staff (8 officers)
• 7th Highland regiment - Royal fusiliers (80 men)
• 11th Highland regiment - North Devonshire (60 men)
• 12th Highland regiment - East suffolk (27 men)
• 20th Highland regiment - Easr Devonshire (60 men)
• 21st Highland regiment - Royal North British Fusiliers (60 men)
• 22nd Highland regiment - Cheshire (27 men)
• 23rd Highland regiment - Royal Welch fusiliers (60 men)
• 24th Highland regiment - 2nd Warwickshire (80 men)
• 25th Highland regiment - King's own Borderers (80 men)
• 2nd regiment of foot - Queen's royal (light company) (35men)
• 3rd regiment of foot - East Kent the buffs (light company) (66men)
• 4th regiment of foot - The King's own royal (light company) (35men)
• 14th regiment of foot - Bedfordshire (80 men)
• 15th regiment of foot - York East Riding(55 men)
• 16th regiment of foot - Buckinghamshire (80 men)
• 17th regiment of foot - Leicestershire (55 men)
• 18th regiment of foot - Royal Irish (55 men)
• 19th regiment of foot - 1st Yorkshire, north riding (55 men)
• 1st regiment of Militia (120men)

Tarragona shipyard, Catalonia

• 3rd regiment of Militia (120men)

1806 September

120 men recruited to the 42nd Black watch Highland regiment - Edinburgh

45 men recruited to the 3rd Prince of wales own Dragoons - Edinburgh

120 men recruited to the 29th Worcester Highland foot - Edinburgh

120 men recruited to the 30th Cambridgeshire foot - London

three fifth rates constructed

General Sir John Moore marched to reinforce Caens (with a battalion composed of the KGL, 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th and 10th regiments of foot) as Bonaparte (recovered from his wounds in Paris) closed in on the Norman city with a Brigade and several Battalions of Frenchmen. Moore's orders had been to maintain the occupied provinces of Britanny and Normandy against assualt by teh French, however he had been given quite allot of free rein in what he was allowed to do in protecting British presence in the regions. Brittany, with the briliantly strategic harbour of Brest, was considered the most important of the two to protect, so a great sum of money had been poured out into constructing a star fort defence system around it. If this had not been the case them Moore would have been greatly compromising on his priorities by leaving just the men of the 10th foot to defend the city from French attack.

However when Moore reached Caen he did not enter and instead of garissoning it with his own troops battalion he ordered the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th light horse and the six 9Iber and twelve 6Iber artillery pieces to join his force and return to Rennes.

But before Moore reached the border of Britanny he recieved intelligence that Caen was now under siege from Bonaparte. When he had requested the Norman citizens to open the gates to him they had refused entry and rushed to arm themselves. Apparently they believed that he had left to resupply the brigade and that soon he would return to their aid. Upon hearing this Moore is said to have exclaimed "Damn my sanity, I cannot abbandon such noble hearts" before giving the order for the column to turn and march back to Caen. The men were greatly heartend that soon they were going to have a crack at Boney himself and they willingly marched back along the road, whistling and making good time. Soon Moore's brigade was in sight of Bonaparte's besiegers and they stopped to make camp upon a ridge overlooking the Frenchmen.

1806 October

The next morning (Oct 1st) the alarm was raised in Moore's camp and the troops were turned out to see Boney advancing on the city, the armed Norman civilians forming a line in the British fashion. Moore moved all his artillery to the top of a small hillock and took up his own position there. The light horse charged the French artillery pieces from the rear, taking out the gun crews before they were seen off by the French cavalry which in turn was wiped out by the British guns as they charged and were sprayed by grape. Moore's infantry calmly formed line but the weight of the French columns was to much for them and they broke scattering back to the camp. In the end the battle came down to the artillery surrounding Moore. The Norman civilians were pushing hard on one side of the French army, forcing them onto the guns which sprayed canaster across the massed bluecoated ranks. It was at this point that a stray shot hit Bonaparte while he rode through a group of trees and he had to be dragged off by the faithful Ali. It was the second wound of the year for the General who commanded France's armies.

The French were seen off from Caen, their only battalion fleeing to Bayeux, but it was a Pyrrhic victory for Moore. His decision to rescue the noble peasants of Caen had cost him the majority of the light horse. 1106 Frenchmen had bene killed or wounded compared to 1323 British soldiers.

Moore gathered up his Infantry (the Cavalry, Artillery and Moore himself stayed in Caen to resupply) and orderd them back towards the Fortress town of Rennes.

Whilst travelling through the Manche forests, the battalion found itself ambushed and surrounded by a brigade of Spaniards under General Fransisco Javier Castanos (we have as yet no information to explain how Castanos' men came to be in Normandy only that they were and that they left for Spain soon afterwards). The Infantry attempted to form a battalion square but the Spanish cavalry from one side and the artillery bombardment from the other were too much for the British. Some 248 redcoats were killed compared to, a reported, around 100 Spanish. The 3rd KGL, 2nd Queen's Royal, 4th king's own and 9th East norfolk were wiped out with no survivors noted. The1st regiment retreated to Bayeux where they were attacked by the surviving besiegers. All but the light company were wiped out.

The sloop Lion is finished off in the Tarragona dockyards and the 7th, 11th, 12th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th regiments of the Highland battalion (at the time stationed in Barcelona) are loaded aboard. The Lion puts out from the dock and less than a week later arrives at the shores of Mallorca. Its marines storm the beaches but are met by no resistance. They go on to secure the port of Soller and the Highlanders are rowed ashore here. Colonel Harold Bradford, after finding a horse, marched his battalion for the town of Palma.

"As the Marines had just finished boarding the Lion", Bradford reports from his vantage point on the road to Mallorca, "I caught sight of three Dago fifth rates aproaching our sloop. She tried to outrun them but, looking through my glass I could make out, they caught up with her and boarded her. I must confess I hoped against all hope that Zebra's report all those months ago off an undefended garrison was correct for we had no way of escape left to us"

 When the citizens of Mallorca caught sight of Colonel Bradford and his highlanders they did not even consider resistance. The islands were bare of Spanish troops and the people seemed content with the occupation as it meant a boom for their economy with all the Commisions for new ships from the royal navy.

120 men recruited to from the 4th regiment of Militia - Rennes

45 men recruited to the 4th Royal Irish Dragoons guards - Edinburgh

General Moore, having recieved reports of a large French army under Grand Marshal Geraud Duroc leaving Paris by the North West road, decided to withdraw entirelyfrom Normandy. Before leaving he met the mayor of Caen and instructed him to open the gates to Duroc when he came knocking as no British soldiers would arrive to their rescue. He told the citizens that they must allow the French troops into the city, the French would go easy on them then, "But" he remarked "one day we shall be back! The British shall return and you shall have liberty".

Moore withdrew to Rennes where he prepared for a siege, recruiting Militia and sending to Horse guards for more reinforcements.

The 24 remaining men of the Light company of the 1st foot, hauled up in the port of Cherbourg, were evacuated by a fleet of three British fifth rates who had been attracted to the French shore by the Light company's distress beacon. These men disembarked, when the ships put in at Portsmouth, to resupply and rerecruit.

A week after Moore left Duroc marched on the city and the populace opened the gates too him. After this Napoleon himself visited the city and left with the majority of the troops, an invasion of Britanny clearly was not on the top of his agenda.

1806 November

120 men recruited to form the 5th regiment of Militia - Barcelona

With Brittany, Catalonia and the Balearic isles seized Bonaparte's naval power in the Mediteranean and Atlantic was considerably cut back and we decided to discuss the next phase of the plan with horse guards. The only obstacle that had stopped us sending a fleet to the Balearics had been the Dutch treasure fleet and the threat that the Batavian republic posed to Europe as an ally of Bonaparte and the last Republic left in europe was dangerously real. The Batavian Republic must be taken out of European Politics as both Bonaparte's ally and a dangerpus republican government.

Major General Arthur Wellesley, recently returned from sucess in India, was chosen for the venture and placed in command of the third Brigade, composed of the 2nd and 3rd horse guards, 13th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 30th and 31st regiments of foot, the light companies of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th regiments of foot, the 29th highlanders, 42nd black watch and twenty 6Iber guns. He was to land at Schoorl and march on Amsterdam. In less than six months, it was calculated, we could have knocked one of France's allies right out of the war.

He left Chatham docks Early November and disembarked his brigade on the beach at Schoorl before marching on the village and setting up camp there, billeting troops in the buildings.

Commodore Lionel Ford's three 5th rates were attacked, mid november, off the north Breton coast by six French 5th rates. Ford took four of the Frenchmen down to the bottom with the loss of just one of his own boats. He pursued the remaining French men, sank one and captured the other, earning him and his men some well deserved prize money.

With the ships that had transported him and his brigade out of sight, Wellesley had started to plan an assualt on Amsterdam. However before he mobilised his men to leave Schoorl a Batavian brigade under General Thonius Grave and battalion under Major Klaas Casimir, all numbering around 2100 men, surrounded Wellesley's brigade of just 1500. The British with their backs to Schoorl and the marshes, between it and the beach, prepared to make a stand against the Dutch.

Our forces formed a line anchored along a line of trees with a forest to their left flank and cliffs to the right. The artillery pieces were placed along the front with the highland and foot regiments arrayed just behind them to give covering fire should the artillery pieces be attacked. The Light companies were grouped to form a battalion on the Left flank in the forests whilst the Heavy dragoons took the right flank with Wellesley as a protection for the flanks against enemy cavalry.

The main Batavian infantry assualts were seen off by the canister of the 6Ibrs whilst the cavalry was tied up defending the artilelry against the British heavy dragoons. The light companies now began to work on the remaining Batavian foot, harrying them and seeing them back to theirown lines. In the pursuit by the light infantry, General Grave rode amongst his men in an attempt to rally them but he got too close to the light companies and was gunned down by a hail of fire. Soon the Dutch were in full flight and Wellesley was open to march on Amsterdam.

875 Dutch including Grave were killed and 14 guns destroyed to 590 British killed and only 3 guns lost. With Amsterdam under siege and a Dutch Brigade and Battalion defeated, the newspapers of London and Edinburgh were filled with the stories of victory and moral in Britain ran high.

1806 December

four 5th rates constructed

Mayor Dagobert Cornelissen lead a sally out from besieged Amsterdam against the surrounding 3rd brigade. It was a British victory, the attacking Dutch were utterly crushed, bodies scattered around the aproach to the city and the survivors licking their wounds in the city centre.

The dispatches of this event were destroyed following more recent events and all we have is Wellesley's personal report which he composed nearly a month later from memory. The only credible piece of information I am able to give from this report is the number of casualties on either side which Wellesley remembered precisley. 245 British had been killed in the engagement to an incredible 1090 Batavian casualties.

The 1st Foot's light company (now with 44 men after recruiting 20 more in Portsmouth) disembarked at Dinard, together with the 1st and 4th horse guards, and marched for Rennes to help their parent unit in the defence of the fortified city.

The 4th Militia are dispatched to Le Mans where they burn and pillage the French farms with true Bourbon furvor.

After the last heroic sortie made by the mayor of Amsterdam, Batavian General Reinier Courtlandt returns from Germany to the defence of his homeland. With the first snows falling he marches on the besieging force in an attempt to brake the siege and relieve the garrison.

With the news of the aproaching General, Wellesley's brigade quickly construct trenchworks and defences for their position. Mines are placed by the light infantry to the front of the trench line before they occupy several nearby houses. The battle is cold and bloody, the Batavians coming on towards the siege lines all the while being shelled by the artillery before stumbling across the mines and setting off two explosions in the midst of their line. The Batavian cavalry and artillery, taking up position in a nearby village, found themselves under fire from light infantrymen in the surrounding houses. The Cavalry left the safety of the city to attack the trench line but was seen off when the occupying infantry formed squares. The artillery, on the other hand, withdrew from the village and began shelling the houses. The light companies were buried alive in their rubble.

As the majority of the British force was in flight the 42nd Black watch made a last charge towards a block of Batavian infantry behind which Courtlandt was commanding his army from. They punched through the foot and surrounded Courtlandt and his staff before they knew what had hit them. Courtlandt was bayoneted to death, but the highlanders were eventually seen off by his staff officers as they counter charged the scots.

Wellesley was now in flight, back towards Schoorl, with only 13 staff members, 29 men of the black watch, 31 men of the 31st highlanders and 27 men each of the 26th and 27th foot regiments at his side.

General Nikolass Hoffman, with another fresh battalion of Batavians behind him, now pursued them all the way back to the coast but as they reached Schoorl Wellesley realised his plight was hopeless. He had a quater of Hoffman's men and, though the fleet was still anchored out at sea, with the Dutch ontop of them there was no escape for him or his followers, but they would sell their lives dearly! The small British line held out for a lengthy time in the sun of the bright mid-winter afternoon. But as they stood they were massacred.

125 of 127 redcoats were killed or wounded and captured including Wellesley's staff and the brave black watch. The Dutch lost 142 men of their 467 original.

That night the only two survivors who had managed to escape the bloodshed, by hiding in the marshes (a badly injured Wellesley and a private of the 42nd highlanders), stole a boat and rowed their way to the fleet currently raiding Batavian shipping just off the shore.

Wellesley is currently (Christmas 1806) bedridden in his countryhouse recovering from his injuries. The Highlander has been raised from the ranks by Wellesley to the rank of second Lieutenant for saving his life, dragging him from the field into the marshes and rowing him back to the British squadron.

1807 January

General Bonaparte, with a battalion of 275 men behind him, marched into the Le Mans farmlands in pursuit of Captain Vernon Creswell and the 4th Militia regiment who had defied his power by penitrating so far into France. Creswell retired, with his men south across the Loire, as soon as he recieved the news that Boney was coming to pay his personal respects.

The 4th Militia fell back to the port of Nantes where they proceeded to damage and burn the commercial shipping, goods and dockside. However Bonaparte, after making provision for replanting and repairing in Le Mans, marched swifly on after the Militia. Creswell withdrew his men North, back across the Loire, to the province of Brittany where he recieved orders from General Sir John Moore to protect the Pontrieux farmlands on northern Brittany from enemy raids.

The Queen's bay dragoon guards and Prince of Wales dragoon guards, commanded by Captain Harbottle Templer, embarked on a fleet of three fifth rates on new year's day to cross the chanel from Portsmouth to Dinard. However a large French squadron was prowling the waters of the Gulf of St Malo and the heavy dragoons were forced to disembark at Cherbourg Octeville in Manche, Normandy. They would have to ride through enemy territory if they were going to reach Rennes and Templer believed they were urgently needed and that Moore could not wait till the fleet reached Brest for them to disembark.

1807 Febuary

45 men recruited to the 5th Princess Charlotte of Wales Dragoon Guards - Edinburgh

120 men recruited to the black watch, raising it back to siz - Edinburgh

120 men recruited to form the 6th Militia - Rennes

four 5th rates constructed

A French 5th rate, commanded by Captain Villeneuve, sailed up to west hoo creek outside Chatham Docks and raised a blockade across the river. Commodore Heathcliff Lockheart in command of six 5th rates, which were at that time occupied in raiding Batavian merchant shpping as it left the low countries, was ordered to lift the blockade.

He sailed his fleet up to Chatham docks and, in a fierce naval engagement in south Yantlet creek, sank the Frenchman. However he incured the wrath of the admiralty by loosing two of his fifth rates to the Villeneuve's one.

He was dispatched back to the Batavian coast to continue his raiding. But before he continued on his voyage he stopped off in the downs to resupply his four 34 gunners. Whilst he was there a French fleet of three 5th rates, a 3rd rate and a 4th rate bottled him up and dived in with broadsides blazing. He put up a valiant defence and in the end it was an amazing British victory. He sank three of the French men and captured another whilst only losing two of his own ships. The French Commodore in his 3rd rate fled back to Calais. Lockheart was redeemed

As Captain Templer and the 2nd and 3rd Heavy dragoons set out south through Manche, General Jean Victor Marie Moreau and the 2nd, 40th and 44th regiments de Ligne together with four 6Ibers intercepted him less than two miles from Cherbourg Octeville. Templer and his men fought hard but in the end they were cut down to a man. 123 Frenchmen were reportedly killed. The cream of two heavy dragoon regiments slaughtered on the fields of Normandy because of their fool hardy Captain who misinterpreted an order.

With the frost thawing, the end of Febuary saw General Bonaparte march with a battalion of men into Brittany. The 6th Militia were dispatched to protect the harbour of Brest from enemy raiders in order to keep ship construction open there (it was churning out around five 5th rates a year).

1807 March

120 men recruited to the 2nd Queen's royal regiment of foot - London

120 men recruited to the 3rd east kent buffs regiment of foot - London

120 men recruited to the 1st Royal highland regiment - Edinburgh

two 5th rates constructed in the Mediteranean

Bonaparte's battalion of 533 men marched on the Pontrieux farms held by Captain Creswell which he had been ordered to defend against raiders. Not a Battalion of foot and artillery under the greatest general in Europe (even though General Micheal Stowell had proved his better in Barcelona the previous year). However Creswell ordered his militia to dig defences and to prepare themselves for the on rush. The French battalion came and the Militia hid behind their defences as the round shot flew, but as the infantry advanced on them they got back to their feet and the 4th stood. But in the end they fled. 53 Britishmen were killed to 50 French.

Bonaparte pursued them as far as Dinard and there Creswell made a stand. His militia were utterly destroyed, 67 dead to 51 Frenchmen. Bonaparte returned to the Pontrieux farms and burned them and I can't help feeling that perhaps Creswell would have been 120 men better to have let him burn them in the first place and retire to Brest or Rennes.

The 5th heavy dragoons disembarked at Dinard, on their way as with the 2nd and 3rd to Rennes. Bonaparte again recieved news of their arrival and went to meet them. The 45 horsemen were suprised and massacred by the French. Every last horsemen died to the loss of only 31 of Boney's warriors.

Whilst his General was burning Brittany and destroying Moore's reinforcements, Colonel Dominique Nanette saw fit to assualt the fortified city of Rennes with his single Battalion of infantry and artillery, despite the fact that it was held by General Moore and nearly a Brigade of British soldiers along with the Breton citizens.

Nanette held his cavalry at the back to defend his artillery emplacements whilst three regiments of foot were sent forward to assualt the walls.

Moore dispatched his cavalry (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th light horse and 1st, 4th heavy dragoons) from the city and round the long way to Nanette's rear. The British horse fell upon the French horse and artillery, killing the artillerymen and sending the cavalry into flight. Nanette was killed.

When the French infantry reached the walls only one regiment managed to dispatch its grapnel lines whilst the other two fled from the shooting of the British on the walls. The infantrymen who did raise their grapnels did not get a foot off teh ground before they too were fleeing. Moore had proved the strength of his defences and with only 72 of his own men dead to 332 French he was in a good position to hold out against the French for most of the year. Maybe reinforcements could be mustered in England and dispatched to Dinard or Brest to relieve him.

However soon Brest was under attack from a Battalion of 400 men led by General Bonaparte. Captain Kermit Bryant of the 6th Militia was left to defend the port with just 120 fencibles. His men spotted the French on patrol and could have launched an ambush on them, however they bottled themselves up in Brest instead and waited for Boney to pass them by. But he attacked them and Bryant and all his men were killed to the loss of just eight Frenchmen. The French entered the port and burned the shipyards, cutting off Moore from his source of Breton ships which potentially, as all the British fleets were at that time raiding Batavian shipping, meant that he would be unable to escape should he wish to.

1807 April

120 men recruited to the 4th king's own regiment of foot - London

120 men recruited to the 5th Northumberland regiment of foot - London

120 men recruited to the 6th 1st Warwickshire regiment of foot - London

120 men recruited to the 13th 1st Somersetshire regiment of foot - London

120 men recruited to the 26th regiment of foot - London

45 men recruited to the 2nd Queen's bays dragoon guards - Edinburgh

45 men recruited to the 3rd prince of wales's dragoon guards - Edinburgh

45 men recruited to the 5th princess chalotte of wales' dragoon guards - Edinburgh

120 men re-recruited to the 6th militia - Rennes

120 men recruited to the 7th militia - Rennes

1807 May

three 38 gun 5th rates constructed

45 men recruited to the 5th royal irish lancers - Edinburgh

45 men recruited to the 6th Inniskilling dragoons - Edinburgh

12 6Ibers constructed - London

1807 June

two 38 gun 5th rates constructed

Myself and several others have long been trying to persuade the other kingdoms of Europe to issue trade embargoes on the French. However apart from our coalition allies Austria, Russia, Prussia and Sweden (plus several of the Italian states) we have been unable to have much of an effect to this effect.

Hannover and Portugal, countries with which we have had long standing political alliances, have been our main targets but it is clear that a hostile Spain proves to much of a deterant for the Portugese and the Hannoverians simply do not see why they should not trade with such a powerful country. One possiblity would be simply to send a military expedition into Germany,but the incredibly complex German politics of alliances and trade agreements would make this far to dangerous a venture. Hannover, however has but two allies on the continet. One of these, Denmark, have themselves refused to listen when we have asked them to issue trade embargoes on the French.

A complex grand campaign was set out by horse guards which would hopefully lose the French three of their trading partners in a year or two of victories. The first stop would be Christiania in Norway. It would be too bloody a venture to attack Copenhagen and so if we attacked Norway we could possibly take the capital without interfearance from other brigades. The idea was to land Wellesley and a brigade of men near Christiania and lay siege to the city whilst Commodore Lockheart prevented any troops crossing the baltic from Copenhagen.

Wellesley was given command of a brigade (the 42nd black watch and 1st royal highland regiments of foot, the 2nd queen's royal, 3rd east kent buffs, 4th king's own, 5th northumberland, 6th 1st warwickshire, 13th 1st somersetshire and 26th regiments of foot, 2nd Queen's bays dragoon guards, 3rd prince of wales's own and 5th princess charlotte of wales's dragoon guards regiments of heavy cavalry, 5th royal irish lancer and 6th Inniskilling regiments of light cavalry and twenty 6Ibers) and embarked onboard the ten ships of Lockhearts northsea squadron which had previously been raiding th Flemish coast.

The fleet set off for Norway and prepared to have liberated Norway within the year.

1807 July

Having defeated Colonel Nanette in his attempt to take the walls of Rennes back in March, General sir John Moore now found himself and his men again undersiege from the forces of France. This time a battalion under Bonaparte was joined by two under Marshal Moreau and the army laid siege to the city. Moore had a full brigade garissoning the city but most of the regiments were understrength or freshly raised fencibles of the militia.

Mid July Bonaparte decided to assualt the fortress.

Nanette had breached the walls with his guns before being routed, and Moore had not the money or resources available to repair it. So the way was open for a rush by the French to brake through the breach and into the town. Moore decided to use his twelve guns to hold the breach. He positioned them in two ranks and surrounded them with barricades which would aid his Infantry in defending the breach should the artillery fall. He decided to send out his cavalry to circle round and attack the French guns so as to prevent another breach of the walls. Moore positione his infantry across the walls.

The battle opened with the huge massed battery of French artillery opening fire upon the undamaged walls. They pounded away and soon the French infantry were crawling forwards under their cover. Meanwhile however the British horse was closing in on the battery. Bonaparte's empress dragoons were dispatched to halt the enemy cavalry but they were soon overrun by five times as many British cavalrymen. The dragoons now fell in amongst the French artillery and ripped their gun crews to shreds. Orders were then sent to the cavalry to inform them of the new arrival of more French guns and infantry columns on the far side of the fortress, the horse were ordered to harry them and stop the guns from being deployed.

Despite destroying the largest battery of French guns, the cavalry had failed to stop a smaller battery of a couple from firing. They opened up a second breach at the other end of the same wall already breached, before sending round shot flying at the men lining the walls.

The French infantry, with Bonaparte riding amongst them now decided to attack the breeches. One regiment attacked the newly formed breach whilst Boney and his staff led two others in an attack on the artillery positions.

Two regiments of foot and a regiment of militia were sent to hold the newly broken breech while Moore himself led his staff to bolster the artillery in seeing off Boney and his men.

The new breech held and the French were seen off in bloody combat, but Bonaparte and his men managed to force their way through the other.

  

As soon as they were through the gap in the defences the French were fired upon by Cannister shots from the British artillery on either side and took horrific casualties, they also recieved fire from the muskets of the infantry on the walls above them. The French infantry reached the artillery barricades but after another hurried round of Cannister, they were fleeing. Only Boney and his staff broke over the barricades and they cut down several artillery men before Moore counter charged them and, with his staff, killed all save Bonaparte and Ali who somehow managed to escape the carnage and make their way back to the besiegers camp.

 

 The French guns continued to fire on the walls but with little effect. However by now the British cavalry was in flight and another breech had been opened in the rear walls by the newly arrived artillery. But it was a lost fight for the French and eventually they dispersed and retired back over the border into Normandy.

691 Frenchmen were killed and Bonaparte was again wounded to just 542 British soldiers. It had appeared a lost battle before it had began, but somehow Moore had pulled it back, defending the breeches with amazing skill and inginuity. However even he could see that another French assualt would destroy them. It was his duty to defend Rennes from the French, but with dwindeling forces and three breeches in the walls (with no money to repair them) he had to admit defeat and save his men, leaving Rennes to Bonaparte.

Moore retreated to burnt out Brest harbour and sent word to England for transport ships.

He left orders with the Govenor of Rennes, whom he had left the 4th, 6th and 7th regiments of miltia, not to give in to Bonaparte should he come again. The Rennes garisson could hold off the French long enough to allow Moore to return to Britain and that was all that mattered. Once Moore had gone the militia could be disbanded and Rennes yeilded to the French.

Nelson was dispatched with his fleet to secure Brest and take Moore and his tattered brigade back to England.