by Griff Hosker
I was not sure but this was no place to argue such matters. We spoke of Sir John and his death and they asked me of my journey. We were interrupted by Sir John Stuart. “I am sorry to take you away from your friends, Captain, but the King wishes to speak with you.”
I explained this to Cesar who nodded, seriously. “See, you are now the counsel to the king. Our family has great honour; thanks to you.”
The King, Queen and a General were standing away from the rest. Sir John took me to their side. The Queen turned to a courtier and retrieved something. She handed me a gold coin. It was the same size as the gold Louis but it had the portraits of the King and Queen upon it. “My debt is repaid.”
“Thank you your majesty but there was no need. I was happy to be of service.”
Sir John said, “Enough of that. Now I need you to translate for me. I am not convinced that the chap they had was translating my words exactly.”
“I may struggle with some of your words, sir. I just learned the language when I stayed on the island.”
He threw me a curious look but continued, “I need to know where the Neapolitan Army is and where the French are.”
It was a tortuous conversation as I listened to Sir John, translated, listened to the Neapolitans and translated again.
“Sir John wishes to know where your army is and what their intentions are.”
“They are in Calabria and they are preparing to defeat the French. What are Sir John’s intentions?”
“I am awaiting reinforcements and orders from England.” As I translated that I shot a look at Sir John but he gave nothing away. I wondered why his force was still safely ensconced on Sicily when they could be helping the Neapolitans.
“Could you not send a force over to the mainland?”
“Until I get orders it would have to be a token force. Perhaps half of Captain Matthews’ troop.”
I translated it as directed but my heart sank. I did not mind taking my men but half would do nothing. However it seemed to please the Neapolitans. Their faces lit up and the King clapped me on the back. It was a stretch for him. “Excellent. You will find General de Damas. This will drive the French from our land!”
The Queen put her hand on mine. “Be careful, Captain.”
Sir John led me from the room when he discovered that it had met with their approval. “We have a couple of transports permanently moored in Messina. You will be able to travel to and fro easily. A pity though; your language skills came in very handy.” It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him why he did not make more effort but I knew it would fall on deaf ears.
“The men I took with me, Sergeant Seymour and the others have some Italian. They might be able to help you.” I shrugged, “It is better than nothing.”
He nodded, “Good, good and who will you take?”
“I will take Sergeant Grant and Lieutenant Jackson. Both need to see the lie of the land.” I stared at him. “I assume we will be landing the force in Italy, eventually?”
I knew I had gone too far when he stopped mid stride, “Do not be impertinent, Captain. Do not let your recent success go to your head. There are politics involved here. Believe me I will take the rest of the troops when I deem it right and proper until then you will be my eyes and ears.”
I sighed, “I am sorry sir. I meant no offence. And when should I return?”
“I will leave that to your judgement. So far you have shown that you can be relied upon to act appropriately. I pray it continues.”
“So do I, sir. Just one more thing; do I have to be under the orders of this General de Damas?”
“Good lord no! He is French is he not? No Matthews, you make all the decisions. I trust your judgement.”
“Well I will take my leave and leave on the morrow.”
“Good, good and er, congratulations on your title. That will come in handy.”
I could not see how but I smiled and nodded. Sergeant Sharp saw me and trotted over with Badger. “Well sir, where to?”
“Back to the estate and then get ready for another foray into Italy. We are taking half the troop to help the Neapolitans.”
He actually seemed happy at the prospect. “It will be good to be back in action. Sitting on my backside doesn’t suit sir. By the way, sir, what do I call you now?”
There was the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Don’t you start.” I snapped. “It is just an honorary title.”
“That may be sir but that Sergeant Marciano and the Neapolitan lads seem to set great store by it.”
“Well spread the word that I don’t want it mentioned again.”
The camp was buzzing when we returned. Giuseppe, in particular, was excited about the medals the men had received and my title. After Sharp had taken Badger away he took me to one side. He held the Gold Louis in his hand, “Sir, I feel I cannot take this. You are now a great man honoured by our King and Queen. I could not take payment.”
I closed his fingers around the coin. “You will take it Giuseppe and there will be another one when we leave. And I have to tell you that I am taking half the men with me tomorrow. We will be away some time.”
He nodded, “Then tonight we celebrate. I had planned on killing some suckling pigs anyway but now we will make it a real Sicilian send off!”
I asked Sharp to bring the sergeants and corporals to my tent. I firstly told them of the feast, “Keep an eye on the lads. The last thing we need is for them to be too drunk tomorrow.”
James asked, “Why, sir?”
“Because Lieutenant Jackson, I am taking half of the troop with me to Calabria.”
There was a mixture of excitement and worry on their faces. Who would be left behind? “Joe, I am leaving you and the four lads who rescued the Queen here.” He looked like he was going to complain and so I held up my hand. “Before you object I have made up my mind. The five of you excelled yourselves and you will all be mentioned in my report. The troopers will all be in line for promotion soon. You have seen Calabria. The other non coms haven’t. They will need to because we will be fighting there sooner rather than later. Lieutenant Jackson and Troop Sergeant Grant will be with me and you will be in command. It will be good practice for you. You want to be Troop Sergeant too don’t you?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good then this is your chance.” He sat down, mollified. I added, “Oh by the way, General Stuart will be using you and the other lads to translate so make sure your Italian is up to muster.”
His face fell. “I knew it was a mistake learning the bloody language.”
“The rest of you; we learned that we need plenty of ammunition. We have no spare horses yet so we will have to carry it all. I am hoping we can get some remounts in Italy although we didn’t see any.”
The next hour or so was spent in the detail of the detachment but they all seemed happy enough. I let Sergeant George Grant choose the sergeants, corporals and troopers who would accompany us. He knew them all far better than I did. Once that was done we all enjoyed ourselves at the feast. The Sicilians had excelled themselves and the food and drink flowed. I was able to sit and watch it all, as though detached.
I was pleased to see the sergeants keeping their eyes on those who were taking too much advantage of our host but it was a good send off. The only part I did not like was the attention I gained from the Sicilians. They all wished to see the seal of office I had been given and they all insisted on calling me Don Roberto. It was not easy. I suspected that my mother and father would have been pleased and I know that Sir John MacAlpin would have thought it right and proper. I was a clan chief, albeit a Sicilian one. At least that would be behind me the next day when I left for Calabria.
Chapter 13
Reggio now had marines guarding the port and the battleships there promised that we had an escape route from Calabria should we need one. Having been denied a crossing recently I wanted that reassurance. The intelligence we gleaned from the locals was that the General was somewhere south of Naples and, in al
l likelihood, close to Cosenza. We had the advantage that I knew the roads and we were able to push on hard. The weather had returned to the wintry winds of a few weeks ago. March looked to be coming in like a lion, all roaring winds and biting cold.
The bodies of the bandits were now spread over a large area. The animals of the night had enjoyed the feast. The stone mounds which marked the dead courtiers and soldiers were in stark contrast. They would be there forever and become part of the landscape. As we passed the farm where we had stayed I saw that the building was still intact. The French had not reached it yet. We were forced to find shelter north of Cosenza. I had hoped to find a camp but I found nothing. We camped in the freezing valley bottom and ate cold rations washed down with hot bouillon. James and I shared one of the small tents. I envied the troopers eight to a tent. The steaming bodies would keep them warm. It was as cold as I could remember it in the tiny tent. I was stiff and cold when I awoke and a cold shave did nothing to improve my humour.
We rode through the high pass and we were shivering. We had no great coats. We had not needed them in Sicily but here in the high passes we did. Sergeant Grant observed, “I thought Italy was like Sicily all warm sun and wine.”
“We are in the high mountains Sergeant and it is only March.”
“I know sir but it is definitely a bit parky!”
It was late in the day when we spotted them. I was about to make camp when James smelled wood smoke. As we crested a rise I saw the camp fires of the left wing of the Neapolitan Army. They were in the wide valley bottom some twenty miles north of Lagonegro. I wondered if the General was heading towards or from the French.
We were not challenged as we rode through the camp. I found that disturbing. The camp itself was not organised well; there appeared to be little order. Most worryingly of all there were more militia units than regulars. The lack of uniform and consistent weapons easily identified them. They looked almost like the bandits we had encountered. The regulars would find it hard enough to stand against the well drilled French but the militia would be fodder for the guns and the cavalry.
I saw the Neapolitan flag and the white flag of the Royalist French. “George, see if you can find somewhere to camp.” I pointed to the west away from the other units. He nodded glumly. “James, Alan, come with me.”
General de Damas still looked like a boy. I had expected him to look the part of a general now that he was leading ten thousand men. He did not. He did, however, looked pleased to see me.
“Ah, Captain Matthews. Are the King and Queen safe?”
“They are both in Sicily and I have been sent to find you.” I handed over the letter which had been delivered to the ship just before we left.”
“Sir, sit, I am sure one of my men will bring refreshments.” He began to read. I was not hopeful that we would be served anything and so I just waited. “He looked up at me. “You have done well Captain or should I say, Don Roberto.”
“Please, I did nothing.” I leaned forward. “Now what can you tell me General?” I was careful to use his title. I suspected his ego needed the reassurance. “Have you met the French yet?”
“No, not yet. I have arranged to meet with the rest of our army under Marshal Rosenheim. We are to rendezvous at Cassano all'Ionio.”
I looked at James; we had passed that not far north of Cosenza. “That is many miles from here. Where are the French?”
He shrugged. “I am not certain but I need to slow them down and allow the Marshal to reach the rendezvous.”
“With due respect, General de Damas, you need to get to the rendezvous and prepare your defences.”
He smiled patronisingly, “Do not fret my dear fellow. Masséna is busy besieging Gaeta and that is north of Naples. If he has men heading south it cannot be many. We will be able to hold them up.”
“Sir,” I used the term but I felt no respect for this boy, “find out where the French are first and ascertain their numbers.”
He became increasingly irritated. “We have managed to do well enough without your interference. We will continue with my plan.” He smiled, “You must be tired after your long ride. Join me and my staff for dinner.”
It was useless arguing with him. I stood. “Very well, General, I will see to my men.”
He had a look of surprise on his face. “Can’t your sergeants do that?”
I took a deep breath, “Yes sir, but I like to do it too. Now if you will excuse me.”
James could tell that I was angry and he wisely kept his counsel. We found the men. Grant had taken them up a small farm track leading to an abandoned building. It looked ancient but it was on slightly higher ground and there was a stream nearby. It was a better camp site than the ground lower down. “I know it is some way from the others sir but it will make a good camp.”
“Don’t apologise Sergeant, it is perfect. Get some food on the go eh? The Lieutenant and I are invited to dinner with the General.”
I suspected the sergeants thought that would be a better meal than the hard, cold rations they would have to eat but I would have preferred it. I was not looking forward to listening to the pompous young aristocrat boasting about his plans. I knew what the French army and, Masséna, in particular, were capable of.
We reached the main camp and saw that the General had a long table and the senior officers of all the regiments were there. There were thirty men around the table. From their uniforms some were regulars but many were militia. The General welcomed us as heroes. “Here are the men who rescued our Queen, our gallant allies, the British.”
I could see that they had all been drinking heavily and the cheering was raucous and boisterous. It was more like a boys’ outing than a campaign against the French.
“Here, sit next to me, Captain.” I sat between the General and an officer in a heavily gilded militia uniform. He had the look of the some of the bandits we had had to see off in the high mountains. “This is Colonel Giorgio Sciarpa, he commands my rear guard.”
The colonel grinned, revealing yellow stained teeth. It was not an attractive sight. I smiled. “You will have your work cut out when the French come, Colonel Sciarpa. They move swiftly.”
He stabbed at a piece of lamb with his knife and began chewing. Unfortunately he then began speaking and I had to try to avoid the bits of lamb fat and meat which hurtled from his mouth as he spoke. “We have not seen them, Englishman. Besides,” he gestured with the wicked looking knife at the mountains which rose from the valley bottoms, “the land here helps us. They cannot out flank us and we will hold them.”
I remembered the muskets the bandits had used. “How fast can your men load and fire?”
The question puzzled all of the officers around me and the conversation stopped. Sciarpa halted with meat poised to enter the cavern that was his mouth, “What do you mean?”
“If I timed your men while they were firing, how many musket balls would they fire in one minute?”
He shrugged, “One perhaps two.”
“The British infantry can fire three a minute easily and, when they need to they can fire four or five a minute. The French use light infantry who can run, drop and fire from the ground. They are called Tirailleurs. In the time your men take to fire one volley they would be upon you.”
I watched their faces as they digested that information. I could see that it was no surprise to De Damas but he had omitted to tell his men about that. “Perhaps, Captain Matthews you might find the French for us tomorrow and then Colonel Sciarpa will have a better idea of what is to come his way.”
I did not relish the prospect but it was better than suddenly being attacked by the French Vanguard. Sciarpa would not hold them up for long. “Very well sir.”
“I do not need your men Captain for I have four cannon but I will be interested to see if your men are any good.”
I ignored the insult. “What time will you break camp in the morning sir?”
“We should be moving south by ten.”
I think my mouth op
ened and closed like a fish but I regained my composure. “My men and I will leave before dawn.”
The whole table laughed and Sciarpa snorted, “Then you are a fool Captain for it will be dark. My men and I will be at Lagonegro. We will build a defensive position there.”
That did not inspire me with confidence; the village in question was just three miles down the road. Colonel Sciarpa was not moving far. I stood, “I will see you there Colonel. We will take our leave now General we have an early start in the morning.”
As I walked back I explained to James what had been said. He had understood a little of it and, like me, could not understand the lack of urgency amongst the officers. “We will need to be on our toes tomorrow James. This is not cavalry country and we will need to be able to get out of danger as quickly as we get into it.”
We rose, the next day, to a totally silent camp. We packed our tents away and walked our horses through the snoring, sweating Neapolitans. The lack of security was appalling. We saw neither pickets nor vedettes. We saw evidence of where they should be from the tethered horses but they appeared to be sleeping. Once clear we mounted, “Sergeant Grant, send a good corporal and a trooper half a mile ahead. I want early warning of the enemy.”
“Sir.”
The road twisted and turned and began to rise from the valley bottom. I remembered the road from our journey south. If the French had light infantry ahead of them then they would see us before we saw them. I hoped that they would use their cavalry. There was a vicious wind blowing from the north and I felt chilled to the bone. The sky was mercifully free of clouds and we would have neither snow nor rain. That was the only element in our favour. We passed through the village the rear guard would be using. It looked to have potential but I had no confidence in the leader.
We stopped at noon and fed the horses with grain and ate some cured meat. Giuseppe had provided us with a large quantity of such dried meat. Some was venison and some was ham. It was appreciated by the men. The road dipped a little and twisted to the right. I was standing on a rock chewing the dried meat when I saw a flash of blue. I immediately dropped to my knees.