The American Sharpe by Gareth Glover

Author:Gareth Glover
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Frontline Books
Published: 2016-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Napoleon Returns

James rejoined his battalion at Dover barracks in the late autumn of 1814, where it was in garrison, having sailed back from France in the previous July. Some time in the late spring of 1815 James received a short letter from his father which betrays the time delays in their correspondence, referring to his injury at the Battle of Vitoria and hoping for his full recovery; but more importantly, emphatically insisting that James, having been born in America, could not under any circumstances fight with the British army against the Americans. It is an excellent illustration of the confused loyalties of many between the old and the new. The irony was that the letter did not arrive before the war with America ended and if the battalion had indeed been sent to America in the summer of 1814 it arrived too late to stop James fighting there.

To Lieutenant J P Gairdner

Shady Grove 6 November 18141

My dear James,

A very short time ago I received your favour of 23 March 1813, at [the] same time got accounts of your being wounded at the Battle of Vitoria, but getting better. I trust that I will soon have the pleasure of hearing from you. I find none of my letters have lately got to hand, the present will probably share the same fate, it is principally, as the war is likely to continue with this country, to say that you must on no account come here as a foe, it is your native country, you cannot fight against it. If the regiment is ordered out, you must resign if you cannot exchange into another that is not likely to be sent out. I was in great hopes that peace would have been concluded at Ghent and that I should soon have had the pleasure of seeing you here, for when the peace is general you could surely get leave of absence for a year at least. In hopes of hearing from you soon, I remain my dear boy, your most affectionate father, James Gairdner.

Luckily James was not required to break this particular taboo, before something of much greater portent caused him to move in a new and completely unexpected direction. The Emperor Napoleon had arrived back in France and retaken his throne from King Louis XVIII.

This news sent shock waves throughout Europe and it was not very long before the troops were ordered for Belgium to reinforce Wellington’s allied army.

April 1815

25th Embarked at Dover at 6 o’clock in the evening, got under weigh2 at about eleven and landed at Ostend this morning at about 6 o’clock [27th].

27th From thence we marched about a mile and there embarked in barges for Ghent. Went as far as Bruges, where we arrived at about 8 o’clock, stayed there all night and slept in the barges. The country from Ostend here is very flat and principally swampy, pasture low, the peasants appear to be very poor and dirty and ill clad.

28th Went on this morning at four o’clock and reached Ghent by six in the evening; got good billets.

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