The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-07-26
From the Military Sketch hook.
rssTSys SrLDIEE'5 CNPIIAgE.

Among soiders---men WHOSE habits OF lie
are almt : in direct opposition to social ana
,lo,ncstic enipyment--who no are strangers eve
~ where, ID whose profession is TO destroy
their fellow men, it is astonishing what ven
dcrncss and amiabilty OF disposition are ire
ouertly to be met with. If a corrrade DIES
and leaves a widow; or if an object OF DIS
tress presents itself to a reginent-Snch as
a poor traveller, unable to proceed irom
Illness or want subscription is inmca'ate-
ly set on foot, and although rev pence
irot, each be the extent OF the alrs, ye',
with nen whose pay IS 50 llmtce' ~ oears
the credit Of a considerable giit; but II Is not
the amount Of the Subscription nave iooh-
ed to most, it is the generous pronp'i.uo.
with which the measure is adoptfu.--'No'
are such the greatest marks OF tehoerhess
I in the soldier: oftcntimcs has It occuVreu,
F. that an orphan has been lett IN regiment,
and the child has either been supported anu
,,onciIed with The company to "n'eh MS
father belonged, or single soldier mas un'
drrtaken the care nt IT, btleVe one ~
markaslc instance occurred Immediately at
tcr thr hattie of Waterloo--thc infant was
discovered under the carriage OF held
piece. Anothcrs, believe, at this moment
to be found either in the 10th or 10Th regi-
mcnt. That which fell under my own oo-
servation, / will relate; and think II al,
fords unlouhted proof OF the kindsst and
most amiablc heart.
| At the battle Of Talavcra. soldier who had
his wife and child about two years and a
bolf cid in the regiment with him. was Kill
ed His death weighed heavily AT the
heart OF the woman, and together with Sc
we're cold caught in marching, produced a
fever which terminated in her death. iier
infant. thus left fatherlcss and mosherlcss,
became an interesting object of pity. ne
officers of the regiment put the boy IN Tue
care OF woman belonging to their own re-
riment. This woman, however, was drhhk-
ard and the comradc Of the deceased ialnei
perceived that she neglected the child. nc
rrnorted this to the officers, and they deler-
mined TO remove it; but on examination y
} was found that there was no other wo''a''
in the regiment who had claims to he trust
ed more than the person with Whom .he
child already was. Indeed, there are nn'
few wamen permitted to take the field WIN
the soldiers, and these in general are nov
onlv intempcratc, but blunted in their feel-
ings by their own pTivations. :.
!, The couraie, finding much difficulty II
nrov;dinr nurse for the child, declared ina
. he you'd sooner undertake the care OF mn mn
. himself until an opportunity OF better us
posinc of him should occur, as he feit con
WINGED that the poor infant would be ioS''
suffered TO remain with the woman ahae'
! whose care he then was.
There was no objection made to this $
the soldier Immediately took charge OF tn
9 child. And we'll he acquitted himself IN ~
responsibility: he regularly washed, uresse'
and E. A the little fellow every morning; n
;, 'snnlJ Chamber over the hills and procur
:; cote o,ills for him, when even the officer
Of cocnl1 NOT obtain that luxury; and althonH
~, much uf cook, would boil his ration
2, rns,, into uutritive Jelly, as scientifically
the hest of them, for the child. In less ina
10 ,y,n months. the little campaigner was "er
different in appearance from tnat "h'cn u
exhibited when first taken III charge OF u,
soldier; and he became rosy f"cea' cnu'
Nv hardy little hero, as ever eivouacRed 0
the hills of Portugal.
% Month after month passed away au,rn
which the regiment often moved about. uF
= on The march the soldier always tound NEAR
&c nrocurinp seat for the child upon one
p ~ h,pqarc mules; and he now became
e, interesting to all who knew MN, tnae '"''
nj dificultv in obtaining transport Tor MN va
to lie met with. One time muleteer wou'
to take the boy before him on ms TdeHo'
,,I,ce him between two sacks or casks, uPo
"a tha animal's back, and sibber Spanish to MI
.s he Jagged along; at other times he woul
G,a :, seat on some officers baggage,
g WET ~ !, liit" in the arms Of the men; noood
J. nould refuse little johnny accommooat'o
or vhsnryer he needed it. So far heard tro1
rs sol,I;er of the division in which the chii
ld ,yas protected What follows i withesse
is was
,d myself. ,;,,, 80.
~ after the battle of Busaco which WI
~ sorabt in the year following that OF laiav'
~ "a the army re,reated over at ieas' one ''a u,
". " dred and fifty miles of country the most , u, ~
/. Scnlt to pass: steep after steep was cn,ho'
's hu i;vis;nn after division. until the whole
ca .';y.,ad within the lines OF Torres Nedras.'
ny !,.s ,,hnl. of this march, from the m"u
'ss ,a;ns Of Busaco, to the lines, was se.,he
60 J.'strction and misery, not 70 the army
oh the unhappy population. Every pounu ,au
ch ene a"rr vas destroyed, the wine casks we
wv, w. staved and the forage was burnt tue pc
TO- ",s in a flock trudging on before the arm
.heIter themselves from the frcnon'
M 20" ~ whose hands, had they renamed III 'h'
vs.. VS.. S,rses ~ they must have fallen; ILL,
,s !. Infants barely able to walk, oeo-Lrua m :
S"'Ss old people, the sick and the ay,nsJ";;s ;she
y re- I.u Iaa ,,o,inr to make their way INTO L.soI
1a for which purpose all the asses .h and .hu thu
ae' ~, .o.. ,hev could find we're taken Win Tue
ina. my o,. animals became as lame