presume?’
‘No, Colonel: D.’
‘Indeed?’ Lord George Irvine marked his major’s recognition of dragoons other than his own.
‘Both chosen-men; distinguished themselves in Portugal.’ Edmonds eyed them directly. ‘Your new commanding officer, gentlemen.’
‘Sir!’
Lord George Irvine looked them up and down, carefully. ‘The patching is well executed, I must say. There’s more of it than serge, though.’
‘We’ve had to scour the county for cloth to patch with,’ said Edmonds. ‘I’ve had promised an issue of cloaks by the end of the month, but coats and breeches there’s no sign of.’
It had been a point of some pride in the Sixth, even among those officers not usually given to administrative detail, that the regiment was able to patch itself into a passable state so quickly. For years after, Edmonds was as much revered for his address with interior economy as he was for the way he handled a squadron. But even Edmonds had not been able to restore the regiment’s spirits entirely, for something of their pride had gone, as it had, indeed, in the army as a whole. The retreat to Corunna had cost them dear, and the storm-tossed passage through Biscay had taken a heavy toll as well, so that all the army could do on landing in England was lick its wounds and hide from public gaze in the tatters of their regimentals. They would not be fit to send back to the Peninsula in six months, perhaps a year. Not even the cavalry, for their horses were but maggot-ridden meat on the cliffs of Corunna.
‘Which of you is Crampton?’ asked Lord George.
‘I am, Colonel.’
‘Do you have a cloak?’
‘No, Colonel. Lost it at Corunna.’
‘And you, Hardy?’
‘Lost mine an’ all, Colonel. We was in the same boat, an’ it tipped over.’
Lord George shook his head. ‘And your sabre and carbine?’
‘Managed to hang on to both, Colonel.’
‘Good man. And you, Crampton?’
‘The same, Colonel. I think we all of us ’ad us carbines clipped on us belts. That were the orders, Colonel.’
Lord George turned to his major. ‘Your orders, Edmonds?’
‘I’m afraid so, Colonel. I had assumed command the day before.’
Lord George knew the unhappy circumstances well enough; Colonel Reynell’s death by his own hand was remarked throughout the service. He turned back to the dragoons. ‘What else did you manage to save? Not much, I imagine.’
‘Nothing, Colonel, not even us small-pack things,’ answered Crampton for them both.
‘Half the regiment will say the same,’ added Edmonds. ‘We didn’t save a single trooper, burned every piece of leather, and we brought off only a few of the chargers. The paymaster has sent in a return, and we can draw from the imprest account until the losses are adjusted. But we’ve had few remounts so far. I’ve ridden as far as Lewes, buying.’
‘Mm. Thank you, gentlemen,’ said Lord George, turning about and touching the peak of his hat as they saluted. ‘Tell me of the captains, Edmonds.’
Edmonds took him by way of the empty manège to ensure a little privacy and freedom from salutes. ‘You may know that Rawlings advanced to major, and has gone onto half pay.’
‘Yes, and Sussex believes he will remain thus for a year at least. He is really quite ill. I know him a little: he will fight to get back on the Active List, but his doctor is adamant on the matter.’
Edmonds nodded, doubly grateful for the information, for even though Rawlings was senior, it confirmed him in the regimental (as opposed to the second) majority. ‘Twentyman has D. He boughtin a year ago from the Tenth. Very steady, he was, in Spain. Lennox shall have my troop, C. He will have a good lieutenant and quartermaster, which he will need. He is inclined to upset when things go wrong.’
Lord George made a mental note. ‘A Richmond Lennox is he?’
‘Old General William’s younger son.’
‘Very well.’
‘The best by a good many lengths is Sir Edward Lankester. He has A. I
‘No, Colonel: D.’
‘Indeed?’ Lord George Irvine marked his major’s recognition of dragoons other than his own.
‘Both chosen-men; distinguished themselves in Portugal.’ Edmonds eyed them directly. ‘Your new commanding officer, gentlemen.’
‘Sir!’
Lord George Irvine looked them up and down, carefully. ‘The patching is well executed, I must say. There’s more of it than serge, though.’
‘We’ve had to scour the county for cloth to patch with,’ said Edmonds. ‘I’ve had promised an issue of cloaks by the end of the month, but coats and breeches there’s no sign of.’
It had been a point of some pride in the Sixth, even among those officers not usually given to administrative detail, that the regiment was able to patch itself into a passable state so quickly. For years after, Edmonds was as much revered for his address with interior economy as he was for the way he handled a squadron. But even Edmonds had not been able to restore the regiment’s spirits entirely, for something of their pride had gone, as it had, indeed, in the army as a whole. The retreat to Corunna had cost them dear, and the storm-tossed passage through Biscay had taken a heavy toll as well, so that all the army could do on landing in England was lick its wounds and hide from public gaze in the tatters of their regimentals. They would not be fit to send back to the Peninsula in six months, perhaps a year. Not even the cavalry, for their horses were but maggot-ridden meat on the cliffs of Corunna.
‘Which of you is Crampton?’ asked Lord George.
‘I am, Colonel.’
‘Do you have a cloak?’
‘No, Colonel. Lost it at Corunna.’
‘And you, Hardy?’
‘Lost mine an’ all, Colonel. We was in the same boat, an’ it tipped over.’
Lord George shook his head. ‘And your sabre and carbine?’
‘Managed to hang on to both, Colonel.’
‘Good man. And you, Crampton?’
‘The same, Colonel. I think we all of us ’ad us carbines clipped on us belts. That were the orders, Colonel.’
Lord George turned to his major. ‘Your orders, Edmonds?’
‘I’m afraid so, Colonel. I had assumed command the day before.’
Lord George knew the unhappy circumstances well enough; Colonel Reynell’s death by his own hand was remarked throughout the service. He turned back to the dragoons. ‘What else did you manage to save? Not much, I imagine.’
‘Nothing, Colonel, not even us small-pack things,’ answered Crampton for them both.
‘Half the regiment will say the same,’ added Edmonds. ‘We didn’t save a single trooper, burned every piece of leather, and we brought off only a few of the chargers. The paymaster has sent in a return, and we can draw from the imprest account until the losses are adjusted. But we’ve had few remounts so far. I’ve ridden as far as Lewes, buying.’
‘Mm. Thank you, gentlemen,’ said Lord George, turning about and touching the peak of his hat as they saluted. ‘Tell me of the captains, Edmonds.’
Edmonds took him by way of the empty manège to ensure a little privacy and freedom from salutes. ‘You may know that Rawlings advanced to major, and has gone onto half pay.’
‘Yes, and Sussex believes he will remain thus for a year at least. He is really quite ill. I know him a little: he will fight to get back on the Active List, but his doctor is adamant on the matter.’
Edmonds nodded, doubly grateful for the information, for even though Rawlings was senior, it confirmed him in the regimental (as opposed to the second) majority. ‘Twentyman has D. He boughtin a year ago from the Tenth. Very steady, he was, in Spain. Lennox shall have my troop, C. He will have a good lieutenant and quartermaster, which he will need. He is inclined to upset when things go wrong.’
Lord George made a mental note. ‘A Richmond Lennox is he?’
‘Old General William’s younger son.’
‘Very well.’
‘The best by a good many lengths is Sir Edward Lankester. He has A. I
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