True Soldier Gentlemen (Napoleonic War 1) Read Online Free PDF

impressive how much had been accomplished in the year or so since then. MacAndrews was pleased with his sergeants, satisfied with his men, and so far judged his officers to be adequate. It was too early to decide about Hanley. His willingness to join the company on a march when he did not have to was in his favour, but might simply be sycophancy or, even worse, a desire to be popular. He was clearly not yet up to a parade, so MacAndrews had sent him with a message to the acting adjutant so that he could join them as they marched through the village.
    The Scotsman was content – with this parade and with the company in general. He was not yet proud of them, but that should come in time and if they got the opportunity. Rumours continued to circulate that their new colonel was using his influence to have the regiment sent abroad. MacAndrews hoped they were true, but had heard too many rumours in the last thirty years to rely on them now. What mattered was being ready, andso he would drive his company hard, for he was proud of his prowess as a soldier. Fortune and the lack of money and interest had denied him a glittering career, not want of effort or skill. No one could ever say that his company was not the best he could possibly make it. So now he would take them on a march when the rest of the half-battalion was resting. Major Hawker had not minded, and indeed was content to give his captains considerable licence when it came to training. Still, it was hard to tell his mood these days and good to be away, if only for a few hours.
    The Grenadier Company would have preferred an easier night, but as they marched to the beat of the drum through the village they did so with great pride, especially whenever they passed strollers from the other companies. The choice was not theirs. The captain had decided. That did not mean there was not a pleasing sense of superiority, even a little joy in demonstrating that they were tougher men and better soldiers than their comrades. The biggest men in the battalion, they straightened up and threw their chests out even more, standing even taller and prouder. Williams had seen it before – did not know that he was doing the same – but it still puzzled him, how much the mood changed the appearance of men.
    Ensign William Hanley walked along the main street of the village in search of the acting adjutant. Brotherton had seemed a pleasant enough fellow when they met earlier, but was now proving elusive. Lieuten Anstey had sent him to the Red Lion, assuring him that the adjutant should be in the side room used as a temporary headquarters. There had been a few officers outside the inn however, who had sent him back to the Senior Common Room. This time Anstey had explained that this was only a welcoming jape at the expense of a raw ensign like himself, and that Brotherton really was there. The fellows playing cards had all thought this was hilarious.
    Hanley had been pleasantly surprised by his first glimpse of the regiment’s officers, for his view of soldiers in general was not high. Now, his worst expectations of them as a set of childishboors seemed to be confirmed. He wondered for the hundredth time whether he had made a mistake, although he could not think of any alternative. His skills were few, his pocket almost empty, and there was no real alternative to a soldier’s life. The logic was impeccable, which did nothing to make it any more comfortable.
    By the time he returned to the Red Lion the officers who had been sitting outside were gone. As he was about to go in, Hanley caught his own reflection in the windows, and had to admit that he cut quite a figure in uniform, and the artist in him was pleased with the image. His red jacket with its brass buttons and gold lace fitted snugly, and the two long tails were edged with white from where the material was turned back. The other fellows had helped him tidy up his breeches and boots before he left, but the stroll through the village had