CHIVALRY IN THE RANKS OF OUR PENINSULAR ARMY.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR."]
Sra,—Readers of Professor Oman's "Peninsular War" will remember how in his powerful portrait of Wellington the character of our soldiers in the Peninsula is vigorously defended. I have just come across unexpected corroboration of the favour-
able view of our rank-and-file taken by the historian. A very interesting history of the King's German Legion has recently been published at Hanover. It is ".Die Konigl. deutsche Legion" (King's German Legion), 1803-1816, von Ad. Pfann- kuche, Hannover, 1910. The author has had at his disposal original letters and journals of members of the Legion. I extract one instance of remarkably chivalrous conduct
of an English private soldier. I purposely give it verbatim from the original ; an attempt at translation might spoil it.
Assault of San Sebastian, August 18th, 1813 (pp. 156-57). One of the first to penetrate into the town was Captain C.
Wyneken, of the 15th Light Battalion of the King's German Legion. In a written description of the street-fighting he says:
"Ale ich bemerkte, lass zur Linken am Hafen nosh ein Haus vom Feinde besetzt war, ermunterte ich die mich umgebenden Lento, es an nehmen, wobei mich ein englischen Offizier kriiftig unterstutzte. Wir veloren mehrere Soldaten, nahmen jedoch das Haus und machten einen Offizier mit mehreren Lenten zu gefangenen. Erregt durch den Kampf und auf-gebract fiber den eigenen Verlust, rief ich dem englischen Soldaten, der den Offizier gefasst hatte, zu, er sollte ihn durch-rennen ; der Mann aber gab mir zus Antwort : 'No, Sir, he fought as a brave man and is now my prisoner. I defend 'him.' Ich fiihlte mich beshilmt find bewunderte den noblen Character des britischen Soldaten."
By his frank admission of his excitement and violent inten- tion the German officer shows himself to have been a fine
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