Billy Bacon and the Spanish Main by Andrew Wareham

Author:Andrew Wareham [Wareham, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RO:ADV
Publisher: The Electronic Book Company
Published: 2018-06-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seve

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Billy Bacon and the Spanish Main

“The ship will await us in three days, Major Bacon. We are to commence boarding at six o’clock in the morning. The quartermaster will have rations and all other stores aboard before us; he is to begin his labours on the previous evening.”

“Working parties, sir?”

Colonel Ponsonby had not asked that question. He called in the Adjutant, finally appointed just four days previously.

“Captain Day, will you require working parties from the battalion to load your stores aboard ship?”

“No, Colonel. The arrangements have been made directly with the barracks here, sir. In the absence of our own Quartermaster, sir, the battalion has been drawing from the stores rather than purchasing its own provisions. Normal enough procedure out here, sir, and in many ways more easily controllable, from the financial viewpoint. I shall be present with my Headquarters party, sir, and will count and double-check everything that is placed under our name. I shall also oversee the loading of Officers Mess stores and wine-cellar, sir. The actual work will be done by slave stevedores, or so I understand, sir.”

Colonel Ponsonby was quite content. Billy wanted to know about powder and ball.

“The Armoury Sergeant will have that in hand, Major Bacon.”

“Very good. I will speak to him myself and ensure that all is as I want it. We are possibly to land on an island held against us. That means we must have sixty rounds per man made up and to hand as ready ammunition. We must also have not less than three hundred rounds per man immediately available against requirement over three or four days of fighting. Say one hundred and eighty thousand rounds of cartridge and ball to meet the needs of a first week of fighting. We may hope that we will not be so busy as to require one tenth of that amount, yet it must be there if we do want it. It must be stored high and dry on the ship, of course. There will also be a need for flints, of course, all checked as sharp and sparking. Five thousand flints will be more than adequate. Spare muskets and bayonets in the normal proportions – I understand that the usual is one for every ten men on a full campaign.”

Colonel Ponsonby had never been on campaign, and had not read the Manual either. Captain Day had spent his whole career – he was a man of forty – in the stores or on the staff of various generals and knew nothing of the more directly military aspects of soldiering.

Colonel Ponsonby decided that Billy must be far too busy already with preparing the battalion to sail.

“Captain Day, you must speak with the Armoury people and ensure that powder and ball is available in the quantities stated. That to be your first priority of today, if you please. Report to me at, shall we say six o’clock tomorrow morning so that I may speak with the Governor and General regarding any shortfalls. I shall require a full report.

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