The great battles of the British army1869 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
arms artillery attack Azincourt bank battalions batteries battle battle of Maida bayonet Blücher body Bonaparte brave brigade British Burmese camp cannon Captain cavalry Cawnpore centre charge Chinsura Ciudad Rodrigo Clive Colonel columns command corps crossed defended Despatches detached division Duke Duke of Wellington Dutch enemy enemy's England English European fell Ferozpoor field fighting fire flank foot force fought France French army front gallant garrison ground guard guns heights Henry hill horse infantry intrenchments joined killed and wounded King Lord Wellington loss Marlborough Marshal Marshal Soult Massena miles military Moodkee morning moved movement musketry native nearly night occupied officers passed plain Portugal Portuguese position Prince prisoners Rangoon rear regiments reinforcements retreat river road Russians sent sepoys shot side siege Sikhs Sir Arthur Sir John soldiers soon Soult Spaniards Spanish squadrons stockades took Toulouse town troops Umballa victory village Wellesley whole
Popular passages
Page 327 - In vain did Soult with voice and gesture animate his Frenchmen, in vain did the hardiest veterans break from the crowded columns and sacrifice their lives to gain time for the mass to open out on such a fair field ; in vain did the mass itself bear up, and, fiercely striving, fire indiscriminately...
Page 284 - I hope the People of England will be satisfied! - I hope my Country will do me justice!
Page 286 - By the struggling moonbeam's misty light, - And the lantern dimly burning. No useless coffin enclosed his breast, Not in sheet or in shroud we wound him ; But he lay like a warrior taking his rest, With his martial cloak around him.
Page 414 - Macdonald, and afterwards of Colonel Home ; and I am happy to add, that it was maintained throughout the day with the utmost gallantry by these brave troops, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of large bodies of the enemy to obtain possession of it. This attack upon the right of our centre was...
Page 283 - It is as well as it is. I had rather it should go out of the field with me ;" and in that manner, so becoming to a soldier, Moore was borne from the fight.
Page 190 - I begged the general officers to consult together for the public utility. They are all of opinion, that (as more ships and provisions have now got above the town) they should try, by conveying up a corps of four or five thousand men (which is nearly the whole strength of the army, after the Points of Levi and Orleans are left in a proper state of defence), to draw the enemy...
Page 423 - ... express to you the regret and sorrow with which I look round me, and contemplate the loss which I have sustained, particularly in your brother. The glory resulting from such actions, so dearly bought, is no consolation to me, and I cannot suggest it as any to you and his friends ; but I hope that it may be expected that this last one has been so decisive, as that no doubt remains that our exertions and our individual losses will be rewarded by the early attainment of our just object. It is then...
Page 191 - In this situation, there is such a choice of difficulties that I own myself at a loss how to determine. The affairs of Great Britain, I know, require the most vigorous measures ; but then the courage of a handful of brave men should be exerted only where there is some hope of a favourable event.
Page 327 - ... by the incessant vigour of the attack to the farthest edge of the hill. In vain did the French reserves...
Page 478 - Sutlej with its infantry and artillery. I considered it probable that some act of aggression would be committed by parties of plunderers, for the purpose of compelling the British Government to interfere, to which course the Sikh chiefs knew I was most averse ; but...