Letters of a Weardale Soldier, Lieutenant John Brumwell

By Lieutenant John Brumwell

There is something particularly affecting when reading the posthumously published letters of a soldier who has fallen in battle. The hope of a future rings out clear from John Brumwell’s letters back to his family in the north of England whilst he toils in the Duke of Wellington’s army in Spain and Portugal, only to be cut short in 1812, two years short of peace.
Local historian William Eggleston unearthed these letters still held in the same locality that Lieutenant Brumwell’s family lived and wove them into a short book which contains much of the fallen officers’ family background and connecting narrative explaining the war during which the letters were written.
A short but worthwhile read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wagram Press
• Release date: May 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781908902320

Lieutenant John Brumwell

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 This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING

Text originally published in 1912 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2011, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

PREFACE

In a Preface the reader generally looks for some introductory explanation for the publication of the book it introduces. As a preliminary I may mention that the descendants of the Brumwells of Warden Hill knew John Brumwell, of a hundred years ago, was in the army, and lost his life in the Peninsular War, but outside the family circle there was no very clear story of the career of our officer. Only one letter written by the Lieutenant existed in Weardale and this was in possession of the Pearts, of Lanehead, who are descendants of Ann, the sister of John Brnmwell under notice. By chance this letter was seen by Mr.S.WATSON, who has taken a great interest in the publication of this pamphlet, and he considered it of public interest and published the greater part of the letter in the local press a few years ago. This was the third letter published in the following pages, and it is at present in my hands. Recently I came across the remainder of the letters here published, and which were in the hands of the present owner of Warden Hill, but as he never lived in the north of England the letters were unknown to the public, or to the local descendants. Fortunately, I knew the owner, MR. C. SIMPSON, and having frequently A corresponded with him, the remainder of the letters came into my hands with liberty to publish them. I considered that they were documents with a history and should be public property, so had them inserted in the Auckland Chionicle newspaper. To make these valuable letters more interesting I gave the outlines of the story of the Peninsular War. Many readers were interested and considered the articles should be published in book-form, so I issued circulars for the purpose of raising a fund with a view to the erection of a memorial tablet to Lieutenant JOHN BRUMWELL, and as there was a good response the tablet has now been placed in the Warden Hill place of worship, the Church of St. John's Chapel,{1}Weardale. At the same time I issued circulars inviting subscribers for this book, Letters of a Weardale Soldier, and got a number of names.

In publishing the pamphlet I must express my thanks to Lord. BARNARD, of Raby Castle, for his Lordship's recommendations, and to Col. the Hon. W. L. VANE, for assistance in dealing with the short history of the 43rd, and to the Commanding Officer of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry for extracts from the Regimental Records. I must thank MR. HERBERT M. WOOD for assistance in preparing the initial pedigree of the Brumwells. There are a few over-sea friends whom I must not forget to tender my thanks, namely: MR. RALPH LONGSTAFF, Australia; MR. THOMAS MARTINDALE, Philadelphia, and MR. J. J. ANGUS, Chicago, U.S.A., and MR. CHARLES MILES, South Africa, who did not forget the old country (see further reference, p. 101). In the north of England I must thank my friend MR. R. OLIVER HESLOP, who is always ready to assist with advice in literary matters. For the beautiful tablet I am indebted to MR. RALPH HEDLEY, of Newcastle-on-Tyne. In closing the preface, I trust all those who have interested themselves in the publication of the pamphlet, and the erection of the memorial tablet will be rewarded by the thought of having contributed to the success of a worthy object.

WILLIAM MORLEY EGGLESTONE.

STANHOPE,

CO. OF DURHAM,

MAY, 1912.

Errata

Contents

PREFACE 3

Errata 4

The Peninsular War 7

ARRIVAL AT COLCHESTER.—COLCHESTER, 10TH AUG., 1808. 8

THE SECOND LETTER.—COLCHESTER, 11TH SEP., 1808. 9

Heavy French Losses at Vimeiro. 10

Sir John Moore. 12

HISTORIC RETREAT DESCRIBED 14

Unspeakable Hardships. 16

Corunna. 18

On the Death of Sir John Moore. 19

The Right Hon. Henry Hardinge. 20

Present at Sixteen Actions. 23

ON BOARD THE SEA NYMPH, AND ROBERT TAYLOR, 24

In the Hands of Bonaparte. 28

FROM THE SEAT OF WAR. 29

COA RIVER ACTION. 32

The Lines of Torres-Vedras 36

Ciudad Rodrigo. 39

Assault and Capture of Ciudad Rodrigo, January 19th, 1812. 40

Where Lieut. Brumwell Fought. 41

Lieut. John Brumwell. 49

The Oxfordshire Light Infantry (The 43rd). 50

St. John's Chapel. 54

Wardenhill, Weardale. The Brumwells. 55

The Memorial Tablet. 68

LETTERS OF A WEARDALE SOLDIER:

LIEUTENANT JOHN BRUMWELL.

The Peninsular War

THE Peninsular War is the name given to denote the various and mysterious campaigns of the French under Napoleon in Spain and Portugal, covering a period between 1807 and 1814. Their opponents were the armies of these two invaded countries, and the British army which did so much of the fighting. When these countries were overrun by the French armies an appeal was made for assistance, and England responding supplied Spain and Portugal with money and also sent an abundant supply of food and ammunition and British troops were despatched to help to combat the invading French. Though not, perhaps, interesting reading, owing to the many unsatisfactory and disappointing events, the history of the Peninsular War, as historians tell us, brings home to one a great deal of treacherous and unfair dealing. The writer being privileged to publish some letters written by a Weardale soldier from the English barracks at Colchester and from the seat of war in Spain and Portugal, he hopes they may be of some interest to the people of the North of England, and the public generally as they give us many side lights on this troubled page in the history of England and Europe. These letters were written by Ensign, afterwards Lieutenant, John Brumwell, of Weardale, in the County of Durham, who was in the 43rd Regiment Light Infantry. Previous to joining the line Lieutenant Brumwell and his brother George were in the Royal Cumberland Militia stationed at Hull in Yorkshire. The events which lead up to the cause of the Peninsular War would prove to be a long and weary story, but a few of the chief points may be given with a view to better illustrate the letters referred to. The principal actor in this eventful drama was the French leader, Napoleon, who had an ambition apparently to set up his friends as Kings in Europe and himself as general dictator. In 1807 a treaty was brought about between France and Spain for the partition of Portugal between these two countries and for the consequent wiping out of Portugal as a nation, but England was Portugal's ally. Then we find the treaty of Fontainebleau between Napoleon and Spain, 27th Oct., 1807, and in the same year a conspiracy of the Prince of Asturias against his father leading to the Abdication in 1808 of Charles IV. of Spain in favour of Ferdinand, and at Bayonne in favour of his friend and ally," the Emperor Napoleon when Ferdinand himself relinquished the crown. In the year 1807 the Portuguese court, as part of the scheme, had been persuaded to set sail for Brazil. The way being clear the French troops, under Marshal Junot, invaded the country and planted armies at Lisbon and at various other towns and strongholds, going as the friend of Spain and Portugal, and the French Emperor announced in