The guns that boomed over the Napoleonic battlefield could be fired at a rate of two rounds a minute, blasting all and sundry in range to tiny pieces. No small wonder that the artillery of the period was so feared. However, supplying the guns was a tricky proposition, as the ammunition for the guns was bulky, difficult to move and dangerous to handle. Over train as wild as Portugal and Spain, command of Wellington's field train was bound to be an arduous and trying job. Sir Richard Hennegan was the man to whom this post fell.
His seven years' campaigning with Wellington were filled with adventure and dash, and he was often at the front during movements of the army, assessing the best routes for his valuable cargo. This led to frequent meetings with the enemy and his allies, the Spanish Guerillas, who almost executed him twice due to mistaken identity. During engagements, the need to bring up ammunition to replenish the guns and muskets led him to be often near the commander and in the middle of the firing line. His memoirs are filled with memorable scenes and soldiers whom he met in and out of the line.
Highly recommended.
Author — Sir Richard D. Hennegan
Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published inLondon: Colburn, 1846.
Original Page Count – xii and 352 pages.
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