CHAPTER I.✦

STUDYING FOR THE ARMY. PAGE

Samuel Rice--Birth and parentage--Education--Sent to St Omer in 1792--French Revolution--Preparations for war--French hussars and their moustaches--Massacre of aristocrats--Expulsion of Jesuits--Founding of Stoneyhurst College--Duke of Brunswick's manifesto--Citizen Rice--French victories over Prussians and Austrians--Troublous times--Rice returns to England 1

CHAPTER II.✦

ENSIGN OF THE 51ST.

Rice joins the army--How commissions were obtained--The Purchase System--Officer's pay--Dress of officers--On board a transport--Disorder among the troops--Courts-martial-- Flogging--Many false starts--Gibraltar--Sans culottes-- Affairs at Toulon at the end of 1793--The 51st proceeds on active service--Evacuation of Toulon--Loss of the regimental baggage--Hyères Bay 14

CHAPTER III.✦

THE ATTACK ON CORSICA.

Lieut.-Colonel John Moore--The British army in 1793--The officers--Moore interviews Admiral Lord Hood--England's position in the Mediterranean--Elba and Corsica--Horatio Nelson--Operations against St Fiorenzo--Origin of Martello towers--Operations against Bastia and against Calvi--Nelson loses an eye--Moore wounded--Rice's experiences--Surrender of Calvi--French driven from Corsica--Sickness among the troops 35

CHAPTER IV.✦

CORSICA WON AND LOST.

Taking over the island--The life of a subaltern--Garrison gaieties--The Viceroy of Corsica--Misunderstandings--Disease and deaths--The 51st garrisons Corte--Corsican regiments--Sea-fights--Disaffection among the Corsicans--Pascal Paoli and Sir Gilbert Elliott--Bastia--General rising in favour of the French--Hasty evacuation of Corsica by the British--The army takes refuge in Elba 56