Appendix II — Medical Certificates
Brussels, 2nd September 1815.
I do hereby certify that Lieutenant Geo. Simmons of the 1st Battalion, 95th Regiment, was dangerously wounded on the 18th of June 1815 in the Battle of Waterloo. A musket-ball entered the right side near the spine, fractured the 9th and 10th ribs, passed through the liver; I extracted it from the breast near the lower end of the sternum.
He experienced a high state of inflammation from the nature of the wound.
A formation of matter took place in the liver, and was discharged by the wound where the ball was extracted.
James Robson, Assistant Surgeon,
1st Battalion, 95th Regiment.
I certify that Lieutenant Simmons, 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (late 95th), received a severe wound from a musket-ball in the thigh in action with the enemy at the Battle of Almeida, in Portugal, on the 24th of July 1810. He suffered much from the injury to the bone, and a consequent confinement of near twelve months.
He even at this period, if he uses much exercise, complains of pain and lameness. Also a spent ball on the leg.
I also certify that Lieutenant Simmons received a wound in the right knee from a musket-ball, in action with the enemy at the Battle of Tarbes, in France, on the 20th of March 1814. He suffered most severely from violent inflammation. There is still an enlargement of the knee, attended with pain in using much exercise in consequence of the ball having fractured the patella in its course.
I further certify that Lieutenant Simmons received an alarming wound from a musket-ball in the side, in action with the enemy at the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th of June 1815. The ball entered his right side, and was extracted from the breast.
In its course it fractured two ribs and wounded the liver. He suffered severely from suppuration of that viscus, as well as from a profuse discharge from the wound of his breast. He complains of spasmodic attacks of his side and pain shooting towards the right shoulder, with pain of the breast and difficulty of breathing, particularly in moist weather. His digestion is also much impaired. With a view to moderate these distressing symptoms and prevent their more frequent recurrence, he is under the necessity of using stays in order to give support to the body, and also to adopt the most abstemious plan of diet, with almost a total abstinence from wine and fermented liquors.
Joseph Burke, Surgeon,
1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
Boilieu en Artois,
France, 24th October 1816.
This certificate I gave to Sir James M’Gregor, with the following one from our friend Lindsay.—G. S.
Cambrai, 1st November 1816.
I hereby certify that Lieutenant Simmons, 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (late 95th Regiment), received a severe gun-shot wound at the Battle of Waterloo. The ball entered the right side, and having in its course passed through the liver and fractured two ribs, was extracted from the breast. This officer suffered considerably from the succeeding inflammation and suppuration, as also from the effects of the large and repeated bleedings which it was necessary to have recourse to in order to moderate the inflammation and fever.
He is still very liable to frequent spasmodic attacks in the side and pain in the shoulder. The powers of digestion are considerably impaired, and his breathing is rendered difficult by using any exertion.
Mr. Simmons is under the necessity of wearing stays in order to give support to his body, otherwise he would be unable to enjoy the exercise of walking or riding.
Owen Lindsay,
Staff Surgeon, 1st Division.
Footnotes
1 This Battalion was disbanded in 1818. The present King’s Royal Rifle Corps are its representatives.
2 Twelve Years’ Military Adventure, London, 1829.
3 Military Lectures delivered to the Officers of the 95th (Rifle) Regiment at Shorncliff Barracks, Kent. Reprinted recently, as well as Manningham’s Regulations, by John Bale and Sons, 87 Great Titchfield Street, London, W.
4 Napier’s History of the War in the Peninsula, vol. ii. p. 407.
5 George Simmons’ second brother in 34th Regiment.—Ed.
6 Napier also gives these figures, but Simmons in his letter to his parents has a somewhat different version. See p. 31.—Ed.
7 Peter O’Hare joined the Rifle Corps (from the 69th Foot) on its first formation in 1800, and fought with it at Monte Video, Buenos Ayres (severely wounded), Roliça, Vimeiro, Coruña, The Coa, Busaco, Fuentes de Oñoro, and the Storming of Ciudad Rodrigo. He was slain at the Storming of Badajoz when leading the Forlorn Hope.—Ed.
8 William Napier, 43rd Light Infantry, the author of History of the War in the Peninsula.—Ed.
9 Colonel Arentschildt, of the 1st German Hussars, was very kind to me and put me upon a horse, sending two Hussars to accompany me. He thought I was dying. The tears trickled down the veteran’s face. God bless his memory.—G. S.
10 This soldier belonged to the 43rd Light Infantry. I was on the ground, and very ill from loss of blood; he had been placed on a paillasse of straw and was dying, but his noble nature would not allow him to die in peace when he saw an officer so humbled as to be laid near him on the bare stones. I have experienced many such kindnesses from soldiers, and indeed if I had not, I should not be alive to tell the tale.—G. S.
11 This night I was so reckless of life, thinking the artery injured, that some fool gave me a bottle of strong wine, which I drank off at a draught. It was very wicked of me.—G. S.
12 Lieutenant-Colonel Beckwith and the Battalion were particularly thanked in Lord Wellington’s despatches for their gallant conduct on this trying day, and indeed nothing could exceed the devoted gallantry displayed by every one. The Light Division lost in killed and wounded on this day 27 officers and 336 men; 53 Rifle Men were made prisoner; many of these were also wounded. The French loss must have been very considerable from the immense numbers in the field.—G. S.
Napier puts the French loss as “above a thousand.”
The losses of the 95th Rifles during this fight were 1 officer, 1 sergeant, and 10 Rifle Men killed, and 9 officers, 1 sergeant, and 54 Rifle Men wounded. Of the wounded officers, three died within a few days of the fight, and many of the wounded Rifle Men also succumbed to their injuries.—Ed.
13 I regret as a soldier I was not in the battle, but I could not help it, being unable to crawl, from my wounds in the thigh and leg. I was at that time so ambitious of being in the fight that I really wept at not being there.—G. S.
14 Afterwards General Sir Harry Smith, G.C.B., the victor of Aliwal.—Ed.
15 Sir John Kincaid, in his Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, published in 1830, mentions having had a hand in this affair.—Ed.
16 Afterwards General Sir Hew Ross, G.C.B.
17 Afterwards Sir John Kincaid, author of the spirited sketches, Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, and Random Shots by a Rifleman.—Ed.
18 Major Stewart, as many others have done, asked me if he was mortally wounded. I told him he was. He thanked me, and died the day following. Lieutenant Strode died of his wound some little time after at Coimbra.—G. S.
19 Brother John had entered the Mercantile Marine, and on his first voyage his ship was captured by a French privateer, and he himself killed in the engagement. At the time of writing this letter it was believed that he was alive and a prisoner of war.—Ed.
20 Afterwards Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham, who was killed in the disastrous attack on the lines of New Orleans, 1815.—Ed.
21 Salamanca.—Ed.
22 Captain Cadoux.
23 Joseph Dornford was originally at Trinity College, Cambridge, which he left for the Peninsula. On returning home he entered at Wadham College, Oxford, and in 1816 was elected a Fellow of Oriel. After some years of College work he retired to a country living, first in Northamptonshire and afterwards in Devonshire.—See Rev. T. Mozley’s Reminiscences of Oriel College and the Oxford Movement, ii. 55, 78.—Ed.
24 I have since heard that he made a most excellent divine and a most worthy member of society.—G. S.
25 The Château d’Urdanches near Arcangues was thus styled by the British, after its owner.
26 I suffered much from this wound until the bone united. I was put into a house for the night with many of my wounded comrades.—G. S.
27 I.e., to “tell off” or punish.—Ed.
28 Marshal Ney says in a report that Buonaparte had taken away his reserve, or he would have annihilated us. In this fight he must have had three to one, with the advantage of cavalry.—G. S.
29 James Robson, the regimental Assistant-Surgeon.
30 Lieutenant Elliott D. Johnston of the Rifles was being conducted on horseback towards the village of Waterloo by two Rifle Men when a French cannon-ball, of which there were many bounding along the road, struck him and killed him on the spot. This was evidently unknown to Simmons when he wrote this letter. It is hardly to be wondered at that this “delicate young man” died.—Ed.
31 Sergeant Fairfoot had been with him throughout the six campaigns in the Peninsula, and is mentioned by Simmons as having been present at the fight at the bridge of Barba del Puerco in March 1810. He was subsequently made Quartermaster of the 2nd Battalion, and died in 1838 at Galway, in the cathedral of which town there is a tablet “inscribed by his brother officers to record his good and gallant services as a Rifle Man in the Peninsula, France, and the Netherlands.”—Ed.
32 Major Arthur FitzRoy Somerset, Grenadier Guards. He was the eldest son of Lord FitzRoy Somerset (afterwards Lord Raglan), and was serving in India as Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Henry Hardinge. He was killed at the battle of Ferozeshah on 21st December 1845, upon which occasion Sir Harry Smith commanded a Division under General Sir Hugh Gough (afterwards Lord Gough). The battle of Aliwal, at which Sir Harry Smith commanded, was fought on 28th January 1846.—Ed.
A
PRISONER OF FRANCE
BEING THE REMINISCENCES OF THE LATE
CAPTAIN CHARLES BOOTHBY, R.E.
Containing a Frontispiece Portrait of the Author, and several small Illustrations from Pen-and-Ink Sketches in the Author’s Journals.