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Description: | George Bourne's journal provides a fascinating insight into the life of an officer in the British Army at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. In particular it gives a very detailed account of the Walcheren campaign and shows clearly the lack of urgency with which Chatham conducted the expedition (following the fall of Flushing, Bourne and some of his fellow officers seem to have spent a considerable amount of their time shooting game!).
The journal is, however, by no means solely concerned with military matters and Bourne often describes the various towns which he passes through and the local inhabitants.
In the back of the journal Bourne kept a note of various farm accounts and valuations over the period 1819-1837; the majority of these entries relate to properties in the Spilsby area.
A brief summary of some of the more important entries in the journal is given below:
25 October-12 March 1805: Whilst stationed in Sunderland, Bourne and some of his fellow officers formed the Skull, or Golgotha Club, as a place of "instruction and amusement." The club also admitted leading members of local society, including the actor and writer Stephen Kemble (Kemble was at this time manager of the Sunderland theatre circuit).
28 April 1806: Dines with the Polish Count Borolaski (who was only 34 inches tall): "I had several times to lift him off and on his chair, he being too low to climb up himself."
April 1807: Begins to dislike the Royal North Lincoln Regiment. "Having received several unpleasant remarks from Major Cust, I resolved to quit."
30 June-6 September 1807: Describes the country inhabitants of Galway: "whose dwelling places are of mud or stone, their diet of potatoes and buttermilk ....and in the most abject state of filth and misery."
16 July 1809: The 85th Regiment arrives at Gosport for the Walcheren expedition. Bourne embarks on the sloop-of-war HMS Plover.
21 July 1809: Gives a very detailed description of the fleet, including a chart showing the divisional order of sailing for each vessel, the number of guns it carries, and the name of its captain.
28 July 1809: Lord Mulgrave (First Lord of the Admiralty) and George Canning (Foreign Secretary) review the fleet: "our captain seeing Mr Secretary Canning's yacht observed that the zeal of him and Lord Mulgrave was such for our cause that they were even beating up against a strong ebb tide to regain the shore after sailing round the fleet."
30 July 1809: The invasion of Walcheren begins at 6pm: "the different ships laden with troops, amidst the loudest huzzars, pushed off for the shore and landed without any opposition."
7 August 1809: Gives a list of those killed and wounded in the campaign so far.
13 August 1809: The bombardment of Flushing begins: "The bombardment was continued with every vigour imaginable during the whole of Sunday afternoon and that night."
"The cries and supplications of the wretched inhabitants reached into our lines and called aloud for pity, without the possibility of affording any relief; the French Governor having refused Lord Chatham's request of the peoples being allowed to leave the place previous to the commencement of the siege."
15 August 1809: "At about four o'clock a flag of truce was sent to offer unconditional submission and hostilities instantly ceased."
16 August 1809: Interesting description of Walcheren and its inhabitants: "..in short every little town is sufficiently rural and beautiful to strike the eye of the spectator with admiration and cause him to reflect with the deepest concern that so happy a spot should become the seat of war and desolation."
19 August 1809: Gives a detailed description of Flushing and its fortifications.
20 August 1809: A Court of Enquiry is held "for Lieutenant-Colonel Cuyler to enquire if any officer of the Regiment had written the following inscription and posted it on several trees: Colonel Cuyler of the 85th Regiment was a coward on the first of August and was drunk on duty on the 10th and 12th of August. Which every officer declares upon his honour he knows nothing about."
6-9 September 1809: "We have this day, as near as I can tell twenty five officers, including three on their way home, and about two hundred and eighty non-commissioned officers and rank and file sick of fevers and agues."
1 December 1809: Describes the dismantling of fortifications at Ter Vere: "in three days neither a gun, a platform or any means of defence were left. The arsenal, store and every valuable of whatever kind were in that time put on board His Majesty's ships and transports and such a picture of havoc, confusion and desolation I cannot describe."
24 December 1809: "The Naval Arsenal of Flushing, filled with combustibles of a burning nature, was set on fire by the artillery and the blaze was seen all over the island."
Enclosures:
i) Receipt for deposit by Lieutenant Colonel G W Paty on one share in proposed Alford Canal, 1825.
ii) Photographs (2), mid 19th century. Possibly showing George Bourne and his daughter, Anna Maria.
iii) Photocopy of SMITH 1A/3/15/7: letter from George Bourne at Skendleby, 10 July 1824. | Temporal: | 1804-1837 | Source: | Lincolnshire County Council | Identifier: | http://www.lincstothepast.com/Records/Re... | Go to resource |
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