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Members of the 44th attended the
Bi-Centennial of this great British success in the Peninsular
campaign. As the only British re-enactors present at the event, the
four 44’s, superbly encouraged from the sidelines by the major’s
wife, Lady Caroline, found themselves part of a Highland Lght and
mixed Line Infantry Brigade, and of course our CO, Major Ed Parker
was put in command. The remainder of the “British redcoat infantry”
were portrayed by local re-enactors including what seemed like half
of the population of the village of Arroyomolinos itself.
Across 2 days of battles this little Brigade managed
to obliterate a much greater French force by controlled musket fire
into an undefended left flank (Twice) and a final bayonet charge
reached within 10 yards of the enemy before they knew we were even
there!
And in our modesty we forgot to mention, on the
second day, the capture of a French artillery piece and the
destruction of its defending Infantry detachment. Huzzar to the 44th
and our Spanish Allies!
44th
members earning honours:
Major
Edwin Parker
Captain
(Reverend) Stephen Fletcher
Chosen
man William Fletcher
Drummer
Gregory Fletcher
Supported by:
Angela
(Lady Caroline) Parker
Arroyomolinos – 1811
In
October 1811, word reached General Hill, the commander of the
British forces in the vicinity of
Badajoz,
that French forces under the command of General Girard were on the
move in western Estremadura.
General Hill combined his forces with the local Spanish forces and
together they began a pursuit of Girard on 22 October. The first day
the Allies made a force march of 30 miles that brought them within
striking distance of the French. They continued to move rapidly but
were hampered by heavy rains.
The
British continued to pursue the French, but Girard kept eluding
them. On the 27th, he marched only twelve miles, stopping for the
night in Arroyo dos Molinos. The Allies marched 28 miles that day
and were within five miles of the town. “All was still, and cold,
and cheerless, until about two o'clock in the morning of the 28th, when the word was gently passed through all
regiments: 'Stand to your arms!' The whole division was now in
silent motion and moved on to the plain some few miles, pretty close
to the enemy..."
All
went well for the British from the very beginning. Under the cover
of a dense fog they were able to approach within a few hundred
meters of the town before the alarm was given. Howard's brigade
charged immediately into the town and swept everything before them.
The
rest of General Dombrouski's brigade had just begun forming up on
the other side of the town when the attack hit. The brigade quickly
moved down the road towards Merida, but were threatened by the
British and Spanish cavalry. Girard ordered his cavalry to cover the
retreat at all costs, while the infantry retreated along the
Truxillo road hotly pursued by Howard's brigade.
The
French abandoned all their wagons and had nearly escaped when their
column was hit in the flank by the lead units of Wilson's Brigade
(the light companies of the 1/28th, 1/34th, and the 1/39th
Regiments) coming from the south, they succeeded in slowing down the
rest of the column until the rest of the British and Portuguese
could come up. Girard, seeing there was no escape, ordered his men
not to stop and fight, but to attempt to move cross-country and to
climb the high hills. He and about 400 men succeeded, however the
rest of the column was penned in and forced to surrender.
Of
the six French infantry battalions and three cavalry regiments
engaged, about 1,000 men were killed or wounded. In addition to
these casualties, another 1300 men and 30 officers were made
prisoners.. British losses were less than 80 men killed and wounded.
General Girard was subsequently relieved by Marshal Soult and
returned to
France
in disgrace. |
