(for despite Major Joynson’s best efforts no money could be found to send the band to Wiltshire), they were an imposing sight. Serjeant Collins had had the five dragoons from C Troop up half the night bringing their uniforms to a high order, and the trumpet-major had not spared himself or his three trumpets either. They wore buff breeches and hessians instead of overalls (Collins would not have them taken for infantry), silvered buttons, epaulettes and sabres which glinted in the sunshine, and pipeclayed crossbelts and sword straps that looked as white as the finest flour. Shakos topped with plume, white over red, sealed the impression of especial smartness and regularity. Hervey could not have been prouder as he rounded the corner on Gilbert and returned the salute. And Gilbert could not have done them greater service in appearance than with the black sheepskin and shabraque, and hooves which Private Johnson had brought to a high gloss with his fish oil.
Private Ashbolt stepped forward to hold Hervey’s charger by the bridle as he dismounted. ‘Thank you, Ashbolt. Good morning, Sar’nt Collins. I see we have attracted a fair crowd already.’
‘Yes, sir. If we could put women in uniform we should have a troop by mid-morning.’
There was no denying it. The onlookers were for the most part women and girls. Not that the dragoons minded; there would be time stood-down this evening, they supposed. ‘Shall we see what answers to the trumpets, then?’
‘Very good, sir. Trumpet-major, would you oblige us?’
The four unhitched their trumpets. The trumpet-major had checked the pitch before leaving The Bell; it was a warm day and he was confident the instruments would not have flattened. They raised them as one and blew a short fanfare in unison, followed by another in four parts. A very pretty sound it was, thought Hervey — not a note cracked or overblown. The effect on the onlookers was favourable but momentary: they thrilled, but then shrieked and scattered as half a dozen oxen stampeded past them, followed by the teamsters cursing the trumpeters for their ‘caterwauling’.
The indignity might have been fatal to Hervey’s purpose had he not taken action at once. ‘Again please, Trumpet-Major.’
Another fanfare, with the same precision, announced that the military meant business. The evening before, Hervey had had bills posted up and down the town announcing his purpose, and he would trumpet it now until he got results.
THE
SIXTH
Regt. of
Lt. Dragoons
Commanded by that gallant and noble hero
Lieut. General
THE EARL OF SUSSEX
YOUNG Fellows whose hearts beat high to tread the paths of Adventure, could not have a better opportunity than now offers. Come forward then and Enrol yourselves in a Regiment that stands unrivalled, and where the kind treatment the Men ever experienced is well known throughout the whole Army.
Each YOUNG ADVENTURER on being approved, will receive the largest Bounty allowed by Government, and may elect to serve in a new-raised Troop commanded by
Captain Hervey, of Warminster
A few smart Young Lads will be taken at Sixteen Years of Age, 5 Feet 2 Inches, but they must be active, and well limbed. Apply to Serjeant Collins, at
THE BELL INN
The poster had been most carefully composed. Hervey had seen a good many which seemed contrived positively to make men take to their heels, and some so ludicrous as to attract mockery. He recalled one of the Seventh’s, which had been put up derisively in many a barrack-room, which announced that ‘since the regiment is lately returned from Spain and the horses young, the men will not be allowed to hunt more than one day a week next season’.
He had first consulted Serjeant-Major Armstrong. Armstrong had argued for command to be ascribed to the colonel rather than the executive officer, the lieutenant-colonel, for although titular, he argued, the rank of lieutenant-general and earl would reassure a recruit that he was joining a regiment which would not be too illtreated by government. Then there had been much discussion about whether to make the usual reference to being a hero, but Serjeant Collins had argued that now the war with Bonaparte was ended there was already quite evidently no regard for ‘heroes’ in the country: ‘adventure’ might be a more useful appeal, although he thought the bounty was probably the strongest inducement if distress in the neighbourhood was as great as Hervey said. Armstrong had wanted reference made to the law that no man enlisted could be arrested for prior debts below ?30. Hervey had been tempted, but judged that the immorality of it outweighed the attraction. The usual reference to smart uniforms was omitted, since they would be able to judge that for themselves — besides which Hervey was not sure it was so great an inducement in the young men of that corner of Wiltshire, although had he imagined the animation among the townswomen on the first appearance of regimentals he would doubtless have included it. And Private Johnson had later added the reference to Hervey himself and the new-raised troop. ‘Y’see, sir,’ he had argued, ‘if I was a young’n wanting to advance, there’d seem more chance in summat new. And they’d like to think they was officered by someone as knew a bit about where they came from.’
‘Unless they wanted to get away from that,’ Hervey had countered.
But Johnson had persuaded him that for every man who stepped forward there would be another who could not quite bring himself to do so, and the thought that he might be among friends — at least, that there was an officer who was not quite so remote — might just make the difference. ‘You might even get somebody from ’Orningsham as knows thi’ family.’
‘That would mean from Lord Bath’s estate, and I don’t think that would do.’
‘It’s a free world, Cap’n ’Ervey.’
‘Of sorts.’
The longest discussion had been on the question of India. Hervey had been adamant that the fact of their posting be advertised. ‘We cannot fail to declare such a thing!’
Again, Armstrong had countered that it would make no difference to the recruit himself but might set his family or sweetheart against it. ‘We should tell a man once he comes to us, before he takes the shilling. Then it’s his own doing. He might be looking for an excuse to leave the girl!’
Hervey pulled a face.
‘Come on, sir. This is the army, not New Lanark!’
‘And what if the news gets around? Won’t it seem we can’t be trusted?’
The arguments were finely balanced. Hervey was adamant that he would not trick any man into joining.
Armstrong was equally adamant that the bounty itself was a trick. ‘We pay him five pounds and then make him spend ten on clothing. That’s hardly fair, is it?’
At length, Hervey agreed to the compromise: recruits would be told about India before they took the shilling.
Hervey left Serjeant Collins to his duties and rode to Upton Scudamore to see Daniel Coates. He had no intention but to pass the day with him, an unexpected pleasure, but it did indeed prove fruitful to his recruiting. Coates had sat the day before on the Westbury bench and had had to deal with, as he described it, a particularly distressing case involving a shepherd he had once employed but who had left for a better position. ‘It appears he had a wife in common law but she had taken to another man on account of the nights he spent with his sheep. When he discovered them together he struck the man and did him no little damage. And although he wanted his wife to stay with him she left that night.’
