British Light Dragoon (Napoleonic Horseman Book 3)

by Griff Hosker

  It was something of an anti-climax when I discovered only Captain Stafford in the mess. “I see the news of your demise was greatly exaggerated.”

  “It was.”

  My serious tone and expression must have warned him that something was amiss. “Is there a problem?”

  I told him all that had transpired. He smacked his hand against the table. “It all makes sense now. Everything that was taken was from officers. It had to have been either a servant or an officer. Only Percy and James escaped the thief and they were under suspicion. The DeVeres and their cronies were making snide remarks. Captain DeVere will not take the arrest of his brother lying down you know.”

  “I know. It is up to us to hold the fort until the colonel arrives. Tell me, why does DeVere think he is getting the regiment?”

  “There is a rumour that his uncle at Horse Guards was bringing charges of incompetency against the colonel and the major. Something to do with equipment going missing when you were in Pomerania.”

  “But the major was there with us how he could he be involved?”

  “Ah that is the clever part. It is said that the major needn’t have gone to Pomerania and that was part of the plan to defraud the government out of a fortune.”

  “And why has Percy been summoned?”

  “With you presumed dead he was the next senior officer and he was called to give evidence.”

  It all made sense to me now. DeVere had waited until he thought that I was out of the picture and then used his family to pressurise the two officers. The colonel was close to retirement anyway and Major Hyde-Smith’s family had no influence. The DeVeres were powerful and ambitious.

  “Right then, come along with me to the regimental office. This needs careful thinking and planning. When we reached it Sergeant Major Jones was just reading the two statements. He glanced up at me and nodded, “Both signed sir. They present a clear cut picture if you ask me.”

  “Right Sergeant Sharp, you take Ramsden and take him back into town. I want you two off the base for at least three hours.”

  Sharp looked worried, “Will you be all right sir?”

  “I hope so sergeant, I hope so.” As the two men left I ran through my thinking again and hoped that I had planned it well enough. “Well Sergeant Major, will those two guards be able to keep Lieutenant DeVere in his room and, more importantly, Captain DeVere out?”

  He grinned, “I reckon they are more scared of me than of him.”

  “Good. I want them to confront us in here.”

  “In here sir? But why?”

  “Have you got a copy of the standing orders handy?”

  “Yes sir but…” realisation dawned. “Very clever sir. That will work. I am sure he has not read them.”

  David looked confused, “Standing orders? How does that help us?”

  Jones dropped the document on the desk. “It is too much to read at the moment sir but it is what Captain Matthews asked for when he arrived. I can see why. This is the regimental Bible. Every eventuality not written in King’s Regulations is in here.”

  I sat down as did David. “Who is this relative of the DeVeres then that gets them so much freedom to do as they like?”

  “Their Uncle is a Major General and a close friend of the Duke of York. As far as I know he never commanded a unit in action and he was one of the Johnnies who made such a mess of the war in America.”

  I was baffled, “Then how does he have so much power?”

  “They kept promoting him to get him away from real soldiers. So long as the Duke of York is there then he is fireproof. I just hope that Colonel Fenton uses his influence too.”

  “Does he have much?”

  “He knows a lot of the generals and they respect him. Captain DeVere might have underestimated how much respect Major Hyde-Smith gained in Pomerania. I hear the Elector of Hanover is singing his and your praises as the men who saved the Hanoverian Army from the French.”

  “So more men managed to escape?”

  “They certainly did and Sir John Halkett is forming the first regiment. They are to be called the King’s German Legion.”

  That was a good thing anyway. Von Doren would get to fight the French and I think he had learned his lesson when he lost his men. It was a costly loss but in the long run might have made Von Doren a hope for the future.

  We heard a commotion down the corridor and suddenly a very angry and irate Captain DeVere burst into the room. As soon as he saw me he became even more animated. “I might have known that you would be involved in all of this.” He pointed an accusing finger at Sergeant Major Jones. “Jones, I will have you reduced to the ranks for this! I want my brother released immediately!”

  Sergeant Major Jones stood up. He towered over DeVere. “First of all, Captain DeVere, it is Sergeant Major Jones. I have earned the rank and the respect and secondly you brother has been found guilty of theft and that means he is under close arrest.”

  Captain DeVere got a sly look on his face and turned to Captain de Lasalle and Lieutenant Wolfe who had followed him into the office. “But you, Sergeant Major Jones, do not have the authority to arrest an officer.”

  Sergeant Major Jones gave the slightest of looks towards me and sat down.

  Looking as though he had won a victory, DeVere crowed. “I thought so. Now release my brother immediately!”

  I gave a slight cough and an apologetic smile as I said, “Actually, Captain DeVere, it was me who ordered the arrest of your brother.”

  He turned on me and he had the look of a cobra about to strike. “And who gave you the authority?”

  “I suppose the colonel did.” I kept my voice deliberately calm and pleasant. DeVere had fallen into the trap I had set quite nicely.

  “But the colonel isn’t here and neither is the major. I am the senior captain in the regiment and so I am in command. I will order the release of my brother. So do it, Jones!”

  “It is still, Sergeant Major Jones and Captain Matthews is quite correct.” He threw a copy of the standing orders across the desk. “These are the standing orders which cover every eventuality should the colonel not be here. If you turn to page fourteen, you will see quite clearly that Captain Matthews has every right to arrest a fellow officer, if he has evidence. The only person who can countermand those orders is the colonel himself or the officers of a General Court-martial. Now on page eighteen it says that we can hold a court martial without the colonel. We have enough officers to form a court.”

  I could see that he suddenly saw a way out. “Then we can convene one and the charges will be dismissed.”

  I coughed again, “That is true but as a relative of the accused you, Captain DeVere, would not be able to sit and judge. That would be the three captains who are in this room. For myself I am quite happy for the three of us to sit in judgement on your brother. Especially as I have seen the evidence and, after all, we just need a majority verdict.”

  He could see then that David and I would both vote guilty. He formed his hands into fists and I could tell that he wanted to hit me. I was relaxed and I was ready should he be so foolish as to try that. I could see in his eyes that he hated me but there was something else. He was afraid of me. He was used to people caving in to his bullying. Poor Jackson had nearly lost his commission because of that bullying.

  He unclenched his fists and took a couple of deep breaths. “What is this damned evidence then?”

  I leaned forwards conspiratorially, “We shouldn’t really tell you, you being the accused’s brother and all that but we are all officers here aren’t we? We are honourable men.” If he detected the sarcasm in my voice he did not comment. “There is a wealth of evidence. Trooper Ramsden’s statement that he was coerced by your brother and threatened.”

  “Coerced into what?”

  “Blaming an innocent man, Captain Austen, of the recent thefts.”

  “He is merely a trooper. His word will not stand up to that of an officer, especially not a DeVere.”

  “The
n there is the statement of Sergeant Sharp who overheard your brother coercing Ramsden.”

  He looked confused, “Sergeant Sharp, we haven’t got a …you mean your servant. You can’t promote him to sergeant.”

  I smiled, “I didn’t. Colonel Selkirk of Horse Guards did.”

  “It is still circumstantial. You need more proof than that.”

  “Like someone seeing your brother handing over the stolen items to Ramsden?”

  “And who saw that? Sharp again?”

  Sergeant Major Jones’ voice boomed, “No sir, that would be me…” he grinned, “and Captain Matthews and I would think that our word would be good enough. Wouldn’t you sir?”

  We had him beaten and he stormed out. The other two looked more embarrassed than anything and then they followed him out.

  “Remind me never to play cards with you Robbie. You are the coolest customer I have ever met.”

  “A little tip David. Don’t lose your temper. It gets you nowhere. Get angry but think and use your brain. The trouble with the DeVeres of this world is that they are used to riding roughshod over people and getting their own way. They have never had to think. Once they are baulked then they have nowhere left to go but shout, rant, rave and then leave with their tail between their legs.”

  “With respect sir, he is still a dangerous little bugger.”

  “I know and we are not out of the woods. Much depends upon what happens to the colonel.”

  An hour later we heard the sound of horses on the cobbles outside and our three brother officers returned. We would soon know the answer to our question.

  Chapter 14

  When they entered the office none of them seemed surprised to see me. Also they all looked quite happy. Sergeant Major Jones stood to attention. “Good to have you back sir.” He hesitated, “Everything went well?”

  Colonel Fenton gave us a broad smile. “It did. It seems we have friends there.” He nodded to me. “Your Colonel Selkirk put in the odd good word or two and that young chap you and the major met, Von Doren? He was most eloquent. It was decided that no investigation was necessary as there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.”

  Major Hyde-Smith said, “So we can get back to normal now then.”

  I stood, “Not quite sir. We have had to arrest Lieutenant DeVere.”

  I thought I might have had a stronger reaction but the colonel just sat down and said, “Explain.”

  I spent the next half hour going through the events of the day. Percy looked first relieved and then I saw him colouring. He was becoming angry. I would need to speak with him later.

  After I had finished Colonel Fenton asked, “What of Sharp and Ramsden? Where are they?”

  “We sent them into Canterbury, they should be back soon.”

  “Captain Stafford, would you be so kind as to find them and bring them here. I need to speak with them and then make sure that they are safe. Major Hyde-Smith we need to hold a court-martial. We two and Captain Stafford can make up the members.” He gave me an apologetic shrug, “You are a witness I am afraid.”

  “That is not a problem sir.”

  “Well, well this is an interesting set of circumstances. It is fortunate you came back when you did captain or poor Captain Austen here might have been what is the word…?”

  Sergeant Major Jones said bluntly, “Stitched up sir.”

  “Quite, aptly put. Well major, we had better go and see the prisoner and then Captain DeVere. I realise it will spoil my appetite but this is the sort of thing we senior officers have to do. And thankfully, I am still a senior officer.” He smiled, and as he left, patted me on the arm, “Well done Captain Matthews. You have behaved impeccably.”

  The dinner in the mess that evening was a frosty affair to say the least. The incident had created an even wider gulf between the officers. There was a clutch of officers seated at the far end of the table as far away from the colonel as they could get and then there were the rest of us. I was plagued by questions about our extended absence, Sharp’s injury and his promotion. I was keenly aware of Colonel Selkirk’s orders and I was vague. I talked of doing a service for Colonel Selkirk and how we had been attacked by robbers. The promotion was an easier one to field. I told the truth; Colonel Selkirk thought that he deserved it.

  The court-martial was arranged for the following week. Whitehall was informed and, a couple of days later we received a visit from a general. He spent a long time in conference with Colonel Fenton. I suspect that Captain DeVere had had something to do with it for he walked around with a smug look while the two were behind closed doors. When the general left smiling Captain DeVere’s smile turned to a scowl.

  The colonel was too much of a gentleman to divulge the discussion which took place but Major Hyde-Smith let me know that the general had merely wanted to read the evidence for himself.

  “Between you and me Robbie he was sent by DeVere’s uncle. Luckily his star is on the wane. Even the old Duke is realising that he is a liability.”

  In the end the court-martial did not materialise. The two brothers resigned their commissions. Technically this was a disgrace, they were cashiered but as it was quite obvious that Lieutenant DeVere would have been found guilty, It was a way for him to leave with a modicum of dignity. They departed without a word to anyone but, as they mounted their crested, family carriage, they glared daggers at those they blamed, me, the Sergeant Major and the colonel. I do not think their looks bothered any of us.

  The result was that we needed another lieutenant and another captain. Fortunately as some regiments had been disbanded and we now had a good reputation there were officers who wished to purchase a commission in the 11th. We were also able to recruit a couple of officers for the newly created E Squadron. I did not think that the two brothers would forget us. One day they would try to get their revenge. I would not put them from my mind and I would watch for their progress. We later heard that they had both bought commissions in the 7th Hussars. It amused me when I discovered that the elder, Charles, had tried to buy a majority and could not. He was still a captain. That would have rankled with him.

  We were able to spend the rest of the summer and autumn drilling the new men and assimilating the officers. Although some of the new officers were a little distant it was a much less frosty atmosphere than when the influence of the DeVeres had been so apparent. Their coterie of friends also tried to assimilate more with the rest of us and the nights filled with debauchery at Mr. Popwell’s inn, ‘The George and the Dragon’, were a thing of the past.

  One morning I noticed that Sharp had some bruising on his face and his knuckles. “Trouble Sharp?”

  His face remained impassive, “No sir.”

  At parade that day I saw that Seymour, Grant and many other of the sergeants also sported the evidence of a fight. None would tell me where they received the injuries. Eventually I went to Sergeant Major Jones. “All right Sergeant Major, give me the truth. What happened to Sharp and the others?”

  He chuckled. “It seems some of the sergeants from A Squadron resented losing Mr. DeVere and the fact that Sharp was promoted for, in their eyes, no good reason. Well they began mocking Alan and then made the mistake of calling him an arse licker and making some suggestions about yourself, sir, and their relationship which he took to be offensive. It seems that the rest of D Squadron did. If I tell you that half of the sergeants from A Squadron did not make parade today then you know who won.”

  “It seems pathetic somehow.”

  “No sir, good for morale. A Squadron have always been top dogs in this regiment. Captain DeVere made it that way. Your lads have stood up to them. It will encourage a little competition and that is no bad thing.” He saw my dubious look and said, “If there was anything to worry about sir, I would tell you.”

  We spent the next hard months preparing the men for an invasion which could still materialise despite the presence of the navy. The rains of autumn and the snows of winter did not stop us.

  When spring final
ly emerged from the cocoon of winter the men were as drilled and trained as they ever would be. The regiment was a far cry from the disorganised and demoralised unit I had joined almost a year earlier. We were desperate for some diversion and we were given one.

  The colonel addressed us all in the mess. “It has been decided, not by me I hasten to add, that we ought to be doing more than training.” He held up his hands as he saw the looks on the faces of many of the officers. “We have, therefore, been asked to aid the Customs officers in the area and deter smugglers.” He gestured at the map. “This coast is the closest part of England to France and that is where most of the smuggled items are coming from.” I had seen the other side of the coin. We would be hurting Pierre and Jean. “We will each be allocated a section of the coast. Each troop will alternate with its brother troop. One night on and one night off. It will do the men good to be hunting men who do not wish to be found and, trying to be positive about it, this may well give the men good scouting skills. The Sergeant Major will issue each Squadron with its designated area.”

  Sergeant Sharp shared my misgivings. “I am not sure that I could shoot at Jean, sir.”

  “I know but it may not come to that. He is a wily old bird and he will be on his boat. We will cross that particular bridge when we come to it.”

  Our patrol area was Whitstable; famous for seafood and crabs it was not popular with smugglers. Our nights were dull and devoid of any action whatsoever. All of the other squadrons had some success during the first two weeks of our new operation. David and his squadron captured a boat load of brandy and wine. A few bottles found their way to the mess.

  The colonel was right; it did hone the men’s skills and my troop was desperate to emulate the rest of the regiment. All of them either chased away or captured smugglers. We had letters of commendation sent from London and the morale of the whole regiment, save D Squadron, was high. I could neither blame nor fault the men. They worked hard but, if there are no smugglers to be found, then you cannot create them. We rode each night to Herne Bay and then along the coast to Whitstable. The one positive element was that we were popular with the locals who found our presence reassuring. They still feared a French invasion. What we could have done to stop an armada I have no idea.