Philip Woollcombe

From the notes of Sir Charles Louis Woollcombe.

Philip was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, 16 February 1797 to 20 December 1800.

He was a lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery 20 July 1804. He served in the Pennisular War and was killed at the Battle of Barrosa 5 March 1811.

Administration granted to the Rev. William Woollcombe the brother and Anne Woollcombe the sister 7 October 1811.

Extract from a letter dated 9 March 1811.

" The English Troops consisted of about 4000 men out of which they have lost in killed and wounded 1241, including officers, amongst whom is the young Mr. Woollcombe, who was wounded at the beginning of the action and died yesterday. The gallant young man never told he was wounded fearing he might be removed from his gun, where he remained until he had the satisfaction of seeing the French completely routed. Their loss is computed about 4000 men, one eagle and two generals taken, and two more killed."

Copy of a letter dated Isla de Lion, 7 March 1811 to Lord Hood. (his Great Uncle)

"My Lord

It is with the most heartfelt regret I have to communicate to your Lordship the death of Lieutenant Woollcombe, Royal Artillery, who received a wound in an engagement between the British and French forces, three or four miles in advance of our right of the Isla de Lion, of which wound he last night expired. I am induced thus to trouble your lordship with this lamentable story, not knowing another channel through which I could communicate the circumstances without too cruelly shocking the mind of a mother and sister. I must entreat of your lordship to make this communication, and if it can afford any consolation to his friends their hearing from me that whilst living he was truly beloved by the whole of his brother officers (who I think your lordship will agree with me are usually the best judges of intrinsic merit) and that now no more, most deeply lamented, I can assure them of the fact. With regard to myself I have to feel his loss as an officer and a friend; he had served me in capacity of Adjutant for nearly a year, during which time he was constantly with me, while I could not fail to observe those qualities his friends must know him to be possessed of. As an officer I feel he is not to be replaced. I will now trouble your Lordship no further, being too well aware that nothing I can say can ameliorate the grief of my poor friends' relatives, I am, my Lord,

Your most faithful Servant

(sd) A. Duncan Major Royal Artillery"

(Major Alexander Duncan, Royal Artillery, killed by an explosion at Seville, 29th September 1812) From http://www.napoleonguide.com/m...

Copy of a letter date Isla de Lion 20 April 1811.

"Dear Madam

Your letter of the 2 of this month has reached me and for the kind expression of your regard I beg to return my sincere thanks. My poor young friend I assure you suffered not at all previous to his death, nor was he in fact aware of its approach, for a sudden mortification of the intestines spared him the pains he might otherwise have had from the wound, which was by a musket ball in the left side of his stomach. In fact under the circumstances I considered it better not to disturb him with the painful knowledge of his approaching end; as his life had been so exemplary. His anxiety to meet the enemy was most honourable. Altho' wounded nearly at the commencement of the action, he bore it without saying a word to me; till near the end of it when I missed him. I need not add that immediately it was over, I went in search of him and procurred every medical assistance. On the day of his death I requested him to inform me why he had not communicated to me that he was wounded, to which he replied that he was afraid I should order him to leave the field.

With regard to the stone that his affectionate sister desires me to place over his grave, I feel convinced she will be gratified in knowing that this has already been ordered by his brother officers, as a tribute of their high esteem and attachment. He was interred with military honours in the centre of the Telegraph Redoubt, in the middle of the Isla de Lion, whither his remains were accompanied by all his brother officers. I am concerned to say that your wishes respecting his effects were not wholly anticipated, his linen and clothes having been sold by public auction. I received a letter from his brother of the Circe? desiring that his books and writing desk might not be disposed of. I have accordingly packed them in a box, which shall be forwarded as you desire; and in the desk will be found all the letters and papers that could be discovered by Captain Caines (of his own company) to whom I confided the arrangement of my lamented friends affairs. The satisfaction of dwelling on the moments of a most highly esteemed friend is indeed a melancholy one. I have, however, said so far in obedience to your wishes but shall not conclude without adding the assurance of my desire and intention to avail myself of the invitation you so kindly offer me on my return to England. The little drawings & jars of pickles arrived here just previous to our sailing. The former will be found in the writing desk. The latter with some butter that has arrived since our return, I shall keep & for which I beg you to accept my best thanks. I remain dear madam yr. most faithful and obd serv.

(sg) A Duncan

Endorsed " Copy of Major Duncan's letter to my mother".

From 'THE SERVICES OF

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY

IN THE PENINSULAR WAR, 1808 TO 1814.

By MAJOR (BT. LIEUT.-COLONEL) J. H. LESLIE (retired list).

[Continued from page 249, Vol. LI.]

CHAPTER V. (1811)'

Major A. Duncan's Despatch (Public Record Office, W.O. 55/1195,

p. 111), written on the day after the battle, and addressed to

Major-General J. MacLeod, D.A.G., R.A., has never been

published. It is here given in full.

Isla de Leon (Cadiz). 6 March, 1811.

Sir,

I have now the satisfaction of making a report to you of our proceedings since the 21st February, which my unceasing occupation from that time has hitherto prevented me from stating in detail as they took place.

On the 21st we sailed from Cadiz, embarking our three Brigades, viz. Captain Hughes, with three six pounders and one Howitzer; Captain Roberts with the same, and Captain Gardiner1 with three

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1 2nd-Captain of Roberts's Company.

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381

nine pounders and a howitzer. From our scarcity of horses and the necessity of attaching six to each six pounder & its Carriages, and eight to each nine pounder, we were obliged thus to curtail the Brigades. On the 25th and 26th, the army arrived and landed at Algeciras and proceeded to Tarifa, the road to which being impracticable for Artillery, the guns and horses went round by sea, and the Detachments marched. As many mules as we could get together here in addition to our horses, were embarked for the conveyance of our reserve gun ammunition and that for the troops, trusting that as we advanced in the country we might purchase or procure others, but in this I was disappointed, so much so as to be obliged to leave at Tarifa a gun from each of the six pounder brigades1 (the General being particularly desirous that the nine pounders should move complete) in order to forward a sufficient quantity of rifle and musquet ammunition.

At this place [Tarifa] I found Lieut. Michell2 with two guns, a strong detachment and a proportion of mules for their service. He had been there for some months, detached with the 28th Regiment3 from Gibraltar.

As they moved forward with the Army and as he had always been taught to expect that he should accompany them, I took him on with me, leaving his guns behind, appointing a part of his Detachment and all his mules to the escort and conveyance of small-arm Ammunition. I must here mention that this Officer's local knowledge (for he had on a former late occasion accompanied the 28th Regiment within a league of Medina Sidonia) and his zealous exertions were of great assistance to me in many instances.

General Graham's dispatch4 will detail our march, which, when completed, brought us (together with our Allies who were about 7000) nearly abreast of Chiclana, with our left to the sea, where we

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1 i. e. two 6 prs.

2 E. T. Michell, who belonged to Captain W. Morrison's Company, 8th Battalion. R.A., then stationed at Gibraltar.

3 The 1st Battalion of the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot. In Campaigns of the twenty-eighth Regiment by Lieut-Colonel C. Cadell, published in 1835, we find on p. 86:?

"On the 13th April [1810], Major (John Frederick] Brown left Gibraltar, with four light companies and a party of artillery under Lieutenant Michell, and took possession of the old Moorish fortress of Tarifa. . . . . In September . . . . the remainder of the Regiment embarked for Tarifa."

This Regiment is now (1926) the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment.

4 Dated 6 March, 1811.

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arrived yesterday morning1 after much fatigue to our Horses, but they got through it extremely well.

Between eleven and twelve o'clock the Spaniards were engaged with a body of French Troops immediately on the sands opposite to the point of Santi Petri, and in the wood fronting our position; they then pushed forward nearly their whole force to assist those engaged, and General Graham was ordered to follow with our Troops for the purpose of taking up a position between S. Petri and the Enemy.

No sooner had the British entered the wood, which was of considerable extent, than the main body of the French Troops who must have been well concealed, marched rapidly to possess themselves of the ground we had left. General Graham on being apprized of this (not however until we had considerably advanced into the wood) instantly turned back to meet them. The whole of our Brigades amounting to ten pieces2 were marching together in column near the front of the Troops; they immediately counter-marched with the rest and got out of the wood with all speed. As soon as we cleared it the Enemy were seen to be within 1100 yards, and deploying into line on an advantageous position, whilst ours could scarcely have been worse being much confined, low, and in the midst of high Furze; such was the General's anxiety for the Artillery to get into action that we did so before our Troops were up, so that for more than 20 minutes while our Light Corps engaged the Enemys on their right Flank the ten guns (formed together in line) carried on a most destructive fire against their centre and left Flank. The ground admitted of no man?uvering so that the action very quickly became general and I believe a warmer one never took place. Our guns were much exposed to the Enemy's Light Troops and were, besides, enfiladed from the beginning by their Artillery on our Right Flank.

After an exceeding hot fire for about an hour the General brought up his Second Line, formed closer action and presently charged both forward and to our left Flank where the Enemy had pushed round a considerable force; this ended the day without the assistance (I may almost say) of a single Spaniard out of their 7000!

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1 5 March, 1811.

2 Three 9 prs., four 6 prs., and three Howitzers.

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The French drew off leaving six pieces of Ordnance, viz:? Two seven Inch Howitzers, Three Heavy 8 Pounders and one 4 Pounder, with some Ammunition waggons. Two Generals (one of them a General of Division), an eagle and an immense number of killed, wounded and prisoners.

The British have also I fear suffered dreadfully. I must however beg to refer you to the General's dispatches for these Details, and am impatient to report to you that the coolness activity and skill of the Artillery were never more conspicuous than in the conduct of the Officers and men of the Brigades I had the happiness of Commanding; the exertions of every individual in his respective station have been throughout the whole of this expedition beyond any acknowledgement I can make and the fulfilment (or completion if I may so call it) of their duties yesterday surpassed any thing I ever witnessed. I trust you will do me the favour to make a report to this effect to the Master-General of The Ordnance.

Enclosed I have the honour to transmit a return of the killed & wounded, which when the Establishment of our Brigades curtailed as they were is considered, will pretty clearly shew how far we are justified in saying that the action was a warm one. it is extraordinary that under such a fire our loss in killed should be so trifling, altho? that of wounded is most severe, the whole of the Enemy's Fire being for a considerable time from the commencement of the action directed against the Battery formed by our guns; indeed their whole force seemed to be directed towards us, and occasioned General Graham to make his formation in rear of the guns, so that much of the fire intended for us reached them and caused dreadful destruction.

I must not omit to commend the exertion of Lieut. Wilkinson1 of the Drivers Corps, and the steadiness of the men under his charge, exposed & unoccupied as they were from the Guns remaining stationary during the greater and severest part of the action.

The British Troops returned in the Evening to this place crossing the Santi Petri River by a bridge that has been for some time constructed there, and at day-light this morning the guns and carriages were passed over.

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1 R.A. Drivers.

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I am happy to add that after the action we were instrumental, notwithstanding the fatigue of the men and horses, in carrying off the Field the wounded on our Guns and cars and waggon; no time was to be lost and no other conveyance at the moment was forthcoming, such was the suddenness of the action, and as for this purpose I received an order to destroy all the musquet ammunition, & employ the carts and waggons for the above purpose.

The Gun detachments,1 Guns & ammunition of the six pounder Brigades that we were obliged to leave at Tarifa are on their passage from thence round to this place.

I am most truly concerned to state that Lieut. Woolcombe, the acting adjutant to the Detachment, died this Evening of the wound he received yesterday. A more gallant zealous Officer never existed; to his personal exertions I am so indebted that for every reason both public & private I must most deeply regret his loss. Lieut. Maitland received also a severe wound but from the report of the Surgeons to night there is much hope that he may yet recover, and, that a most valuable & promising young man as he is, may be saved to the service.

Lieut. Pester's wound was from a musquet ball through the calf of the leg, but is doing extremely well; the other Officers are in the fairest way of recovery and no unpleasant doubts whatever entertained to the contrary. I cannot conclude without assuring you that the effect of the Spherical case2 was on this occasion conspicuous.

I have, &c.

(sd.) A. DUNCAN, Major, Comg. R.A.

P.S.?In consequence of the great loss of Horses in this affair,

I must beg to observe that a fresh supply of them would prove

most acceptable, and the old horses not having stood their

work as well as could be wished, I am induced to hope the next

may be younger if to be had.

(sd.) A. D.

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1 See ante, para. 2.

2 The invention of Lieut. -Colonel H. Shrapnel, R.A. They were originally called "spherical case shot", and are often mentioned as "Shrapnel?s" shells, but the term "shrapnel" was not officially adopted to describe them until 1852.

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in the battle of Barrosa. 7 In Portugal