Soldier Spy

by Griff Hosker

  The noise had attracted attention and the windows opened. Light flooded the death filled alley. I picked Sharp up and threw him over my shoulder. I raced for the harbour. The path was slippery with hoar frost and dirt. I almost slipped and fell into the harbour. I managed to keep my feet and I turned to run to the ship. We were berthed four ships down. I dared not shout for fear of attracting attention and I did not know how many other confederates our attackers had.

  Fortunately for me the deck watch saw me and four sailors ran to my side. I saw that three of them were armed and they stood around us as we carried the inert body of Sergeant Sharp aboard Captain Dinsdale’s ship.

  The captain assessed the situation quickly and shouted. “Prepare to set sail!” The crew raced up the lines to lower the sails whilst the ropes holding us to the shore were unceremoniously thrown to the land. I saw a crowd appear from the street. There looked to be a couple of uniforms amongst them.

  “Robbie, get below deck. Leave this to me.”

  Alan had been carried to the captain’s cabin where the sailor who administered first aid was seeing to my friend.

  “How is he?”

  “He will live but his skull suffered a nasty crack. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t turn on to his back. I have seen unconscious men choke before now. I am needed on deck.” He grinned as he turned at the door. “It is always interesting when you are around, captain!”

  I could hear voices from the harbour but I could not make out the words. I washed Sharp’s head with water and was pleased when the bleeding stopped. The voices stopped and I could feel the motion of the ship. We were moving. I knew as soon as we had left the harbour for the ship began to move up and down far more. Captain Dinsdale joined me, “How is the lad?”

  “Your man says he will live but he will have a lump the size of an egg on his head. Did you have trouble getting out?”

  “Nah. Some of the militia asked had I seen three men leaving the harbour. I said they had run down to the next ship. They seemed happy with that. What happened?”

  I told him and his face became serious, “Sounds like they were French spies. You were lucky. I should have sent a couple of my lads with you for protection.”

  “We would have stood out like a sore thumb. No, it turned out for the best. We found what we had to. I am just sorry that Alan got hurt.”

  “Robbie you could have both got dead, never mind hurt!” Just then Alan started to come to. “Right let’s get this young man seen to.”

  He opened his eyes and stared around fearfully. Then he saw where we were. “Sorry about that sir.”

  “Don’t be silly Alan. You had two men with cudgels. You did well.”

  He laughed and then held his head, “So did you, sir. I still have a lot to learn.”

  I spent the next few days putting the information I had gleaned to paper. The fact that it took nine days to sail back helped me to refine my thoughts. The Danes would hand their fleet to Napoleon; that much was glaringly obvious. They had a militia army. Their only asset and their only strength was their fleet. Napoleon would not come by water. He would come by land! The Danes would capitulate. I suppose I could have learned all of this by just talking to Matthew but I felt better having the hard evidence.

  Alan was completely healed when we docked. Matthew was more than happy with his profit. “If you have enough money for a third ship, Robbie, I think we can use her.”

  I shook his hand, “Money isn’t a problem. My needs are small. See Mr Fortnum; let’s do this.”

  Colonel Selkirk was delighted with our intelligence. He took my report and shook my hand. “A little bird told me that you had an altercation with a certain officer when you left here recently and then two highwaymen were killed.” I shrugged. “If you want the DeVeres out of your hair I can arrange it.”

  “No!” I felt cold at the suggestion. “I will deal with Mr DeVere in my own way. He is my problem and not yours.”

  He nodded, “Tell your colonel that some of his men may be needed sooner rather than later.”

  I looked at the report I had just given him. “Copenhagen?”

  “You always were a bright lad Robbie!”

  Chapter 21

  Colonel Selkirk was delighted with the results of our mission. It confirmed what others had said. I was not sure that it was worth the risk we had taken. “Damn good job, Robbie! I may need you again in a month or so.”

  As Sergeant Sharp and I rode down Watling Street, I began to question my work for Colonel Selkirk. Was it worth it? It seemed to me that I was being used by the colonel because I was cheap. Poor Sergeant Sharp could have lost his life and I am not sure that the Colonel would have been bothered. For his part Sergeant Sharp was quite philosophical about the whole adventure.

  “The way I look at it, sir, I get paid as a sergeant. There are risks involved in that no matter what I do. I could end up like Jeb Cartwright couldn’t I? At least this way I get to see a bit of the world and I know that you won’t order us to do something stupid. You are not Captain DeVere.”

  That, once again, put that treacherous officer and his cronies into my mind. I had thought that, when the two brothers had been cashiered and joined another regiment that would have been the end of things. Instead, my notoriety and success had made him hate me even more. Had duels not been banned I would have called him out and that would have been an end to it. That could not happen and I would need to devise some other means of ending the feud.

  Back at the barracks there were new recruits to train and horses to school. It was a relief to be back in an ordered routine although my troop did miss the sun of Sicily and the easy life on Giuseppe’s farm. Their tanned faces and hands marked them as the troop who had fought the French. The other troopers were envious. It was a shame that we could not be sent to Italy. We had heard that Sir John and the British forces controlled Calabria and Sicily but King Joseph, Napoleon’s brother, controlled the rest. With a few more troops I was convinced that we could have defeated the French and recovered Naples for the King and Queen.

  In May I was summoned, along with Colonel Fenton and Lieutenant Jackson to Horse Guards. None of us had any idea of the reason but I took Sergeant Sharp as a precaution. This time it was not Colonel Selkirk alone who greeted us but there was a General, Sir David Dundas. I had heard of him but knew nothing about the man.

  “Ah, gentlemen sit down.” The three of us sat stiffly on the chairs. None of us were used to speaking with generals and it felt awkward. He smiled but there was no warmth in the smile. “Now you two young officers have been drawn to my attention because of your success in Calabria. Sir John Stuart was fulsome in his praise. We are going to use your skills in a campaign we are planning.” He sat back as though he had finished.

  Colonel Fenton looked confused, “Sir, why did you need me here.”

  “Protocol sir, protocol. We have to do things by the book. These two fellows will be detached from your command for a few months. You will need to make arrangements while they are away.”

  I saw the tic of anger in the corner of the colonel’s eye but he was too much of a gentleman and too experienced an officer to allow it to be seen by the general. Sir David stood, “Well, I shall take my leave and the colonel here will continue with the briefing.”

  We stood to attention as the General left. When the door closed we sat and Colonel Selkirk poured us all a glass of whisky. “Sorry about that, Colonel Fenton. He likes to do things properly. He is a stickler for regulations.”

  “I know it is not your fault but it is a damned waste of my time.” He swallowed some of the whisky. “I might as well hear what you have to say and then I shall get back to the regiment.”

  “You two will be sent as aides with General Arthur Wellesley to Denmark. I know that you will keep this to yourselves but the Danes have been given an ultimatum by Bonaparte to close their ports to us and, at the same time, we have demanded that they hand over their fleet. I feel sorry for them. They are between a
rock and a hard place. They either face the might of Bonaparte and his army or our Navy.”

  The colonel nodded. “It will be good experience for you two.” He smiled at me, “And it might keep you out of trouble Captain Matthews.”

  “If you would get yourself some accommodation you will be needed by General Wellesley to plan the campaign and give him advice. This is where your last little jaunt will come in handy Robbie.” He stood, “Report here tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. Be punctual.”

  We walked back to the horses with Colonel Fenton. “Well I shall stay at my club, gentlemen.” He shook his head, “I thought old Dundas had been put out to pasture. The man is a menace.”

  We made sure that we were prompt for our meeting with Sir Arthur. We had left Sharp with the horses and we were in Colonel Selkirk’s rooms by nine. “Well done. It will impress the general.”

  “Tell me sir, I have never been an aide, what do we do?”

  “Fetch, carry, advise. That is about it. You are expected to think on your feet and move quickly. I hear that Sir Arthur is very demanding which is why there are two of you.”

  “Who is he sir, the general I mean?”

  “He has been in India for a few years. He was very successful there. He asked for the chance to go to Copenhagen and so I think he is keen to get back into the saddle as it were.”

  When he came into the office, at precisely five to ten, he strode in as though he owned the building. He was an imposing figure but his face was dominated by a huge nose. The soldiers used this as his nickname but that was in the Peninsula and was some years away. His nose meant that he had a tendency to look down his nose at you; both literally and metaphorically. I never liked him. In all the years I served him he was one of the most unpleasant men I had ever met. He was a brilliant general but you would not want him as a friend. To be fair to him he reciprocated in kind keeping everyone, including, apparently, his wife, Kitty, at arm’s length.

  The meeting began badly. We stood to attention and he imperiously swept to the other side of the desk where Colonel Selkirk had provided a chair. He sat down, removed his hat and then stared at us. He picked up a piece of paper and read, “Captain Matthews and Lieutenant Jackson. You are to be my aides.” It was not a question, it was a statement of fact. “Tell me a little about yourselves. Where are your people from?”

  I saw Colonel Selkirk give a slight shake of his head. I began. “My mother was a Macgregor from Scotland.”

  “Yes but who is your father? Where is his land? What is your title?”

  “My father is dead and I own a little land in Sicily.”

  He looked appalled. “And you, Lieutenant, tell me your family has land.”

  Poor James was totally intimidated. He stuttered, “Er no sir, my, er father is a parson.”

  Sir Arthur turned to the Colonel. “This won’t do Selkirk, it simply won’t do. I am not one of these damned republicans who believe you put anyone in a uniform and they can become an officer. You need breeding. I need blue bloods not some parson son and a Scottish mongrel. Won’t do sir!” I felt myself colouring at his insults.

  “General, these two young men are highly qualified. Captain Matthews is the one who was sent to Copenhagen. He is the one who wrote the report you liked.”

  “A damned spy to boot! This gets worse and worse.”

  The colonel sighed, “And Captain Matthews also rescued Queen Carolina from the French. He was knighted by the King of Naples himself.”

  “Another damned foreigner. Well if this is the best there is I will have to put up with it. But let me tell you gentlemen I want none of your lower class nonsense. You are both officers and I expect you to behave as such. Now, Captain, tell me what we can expect.”

  I went through the defences of Copenhagen and what I knew of the army. James just sat next to me like a frightened rabbit. I was just angry with the way we had been spoken to and treated. If this was the way the British Army conducted itself then I found myself wishing for a French victory. We had both proved ourselves on the field of battle and that was where it counted. It struck me that he would have preferred the DeVeres rather than us.

  At the end of the briefing he seemed satisfied. “Well you appear to know your stuff. We leave on the morning tide. Get yourselves a couple of horses. We are sailing on the ‘Rose of Calcutta’. Dismissed.”

  We left and I did not say a word all the way to the inn. James kept looking at me. “Why do we have to go sir? He doesn’t like us.”

  “I think we are there because Colonel Selkirk asked for us.” I smiled, “Don’t worry, James. He is like one of those big dogs that bark a lot. If we upset him he will just send us back to the regiment and I, for one, am happy about that.”

  “Shall we take our horses, sir?”

  I shook my head. I would not inflict another voyage on Badger. “No, we’ll get a couple of nags. There is no point in hurting our horses for him.”

  Sergeant Sharp was less than happy. “But sir, you will need a servant.”

  “We will get a couple of soldiers for that. We need you to take the horses back to the barracks.” I softened my tone. “Believe me Sergeant Sharp, you would not enjoy the company of the General.”

  James nodded vigorously. “He is right there Sergeant Sharp, you are well out of it.”

  In the end we bought a couple of decent hunters courtesy of Mr Fortnum who had contacts all over London. I knew that James had been worried about the cost of a horse. “I will pay James. We can sell them back when we return. We might even make a profit eh?”

  We arrived before dawn at the Indiaman we were to take. The captain was like all the captains of Indiamen; he liked order and a tidy ship. He appreciated our early arrival for it meant he could get our horses loaded while it was quiet.

  Gradually, as we lounged on the deck, the others arrived. It seems that we were to travel with the senior officers, the artillery and the 43rd Foot. The officers seemed pleasant but that was in contrast to Sir Arthur. None had served with him and they were all keen to find out about this unknown Indian general. James and I were discreet, pointing out that we had only met him ourselves the previous day. When they heard my name they were all interested in hearing the story of the Neapolitan campaign. It filled the time until Sir Arthur arrived. He had timed it so that he was just fifteen minutes ahead of the time of sailing. I discovered that he liked to be punctual but not early.

  We left the wharf and slowly headed downstream to join the rest of the convoy and the fleet which would be attacking the Danes. I felt sorry for them. They had no idea of the destruction which was to be unleashed upon them.

  His lordship wasted no time. He commandeered the officer’s mess and began to tell the officers what he wanted. James and I were relegated to becoming servants. We hovered behind him and he would snap an order out and we would be expected to fetch and carry. I had not been treated in this way since my father had been alive. I was little better than a serf.

  “None of you officers know me. You do not need to know me. You just need to obey my orders, to the letter. The troops you command are little better than the scum of the gutter. If they were not in the army then they would be in gaol.”

  One or two of the officers bridled at this, “I say, General Wellesley, that is a little strong. My men are all good chaps.”

  “Then you have seen something which I have not in fifteen years of soldiering. I will accept no breach of discipline. I know that the British infantry can stand and fight but I need them to obey every order instantly. The cavalry at our disposal will be the King’s German Legion. I have yet to meet their officers but I would expect the highest standards from our allies. I hope to God they speak English! Now, let us get on with the campaign and my plan of action.”

  He went through every detail until every officer knew his standing orders and what he intended once we arrived at the Danish capital. Those last weeks of July and the first week of August were intolerable. I was desperate for us to reach Denmark a
nd get the experience over with.

  We were approaching the Danish coast when we were told that the Danish had refused the ultimatum; they would not hand over their fleet. As their fleet was still in the harbour we were forced to land some way away from the port. It took many days to unload all the men, horses and cannon we would need. James and I were kept busy delivering messages to various officers and regiments. Finally his lordship was ready to begin the bombardment of the city. We had twelve guns and some rockets. The six pounders and five inch howitzers were not really suitable for a bombardment and we could see that it would take a long time to reduce the walls sufficiently to allow an assault.

  Sir Arthur seemed happy for it to take as long as it took. He summoned James and myself one morning as the cannons began to fire again. It was like rolling thunder and the air was thick with the smell and taste of gunpowder.

  “Ah, Matthews. Colonel Selkirk told me that you are something of an expert at going behind enemy lines.”

  I nodded, “I have been of service to the Colonel before now.”

  “And you, Lieutenant Jackson, have you such experience?”

  “A little.”

  “Good. We have seen little of the enemy save those tucked up in Copenhagen. I wish to know where they are. I need to know if they have an army! Find them!”

  With a perfunctory wave we were dismissed. Although a daunting task I was delighted for it took us away from the odious general. I made sure that we took supplies both for ourselves and our horses. This was all enemy country.

  We headed north first. I was anxious to cover as much ground as I could and yet avoid being ambushed. Riding along the coast enabled us to do that. I had made sure that we carried four loaded pistols each. We were going to be too far from friendly forces to be able to summon aid. We would have to rely on our own wits. The two hunters were fine horses. Mine, called Jack, was not Badger but he was a handsome mount. When we had ridden for a couple of hours the track we were to follow began to head south. I held up my hand to halt James.