JOURNAL - ROYAL IRISH ARTILLERY] The manuscript journal of Lt. Gen. Robert Crawford of the Irish Royal Artillery, approximately 142pp of closely written text in brown ink, folio, calf backed boards (worn). A detailed, forthright and often prejudiced account, interspersed with family annecdotes, of the life history of Robert Crawford from his birth in 1770 until his 79th year in 1849. Entering the artillery at the age of 16, he later joined the Duke of York's army in Holland. A vivid account of battle and troop movements follows, the difficulties of conditions and supplies, the drunkenness and neglect of the medical staff. He mentions being at Teyl with Lt. Col. Wellesley and the 33rd Regiment of Foot, and at Loo, the residence of King William 'the furniture and paintings were superb', giving his opinion of the Dutch 'A Dutchman's God is money', and the Boors, 'stubborn in the extreme and if irritated ferocious'. He returned to Ireland in 1795 and describes sighting the French fleet off Bantry Bay in 1796 and their 'providential deliverance from invasion'. There follows copies of his official reports of the incident. In 1797 he undertook a voyage to Barbados, experiencing illness, close fighting with a lone French ship and a hurricane off Bermuda. Back in Ireland, a long description of the 1798 Rebellion, describing the defeat of the rebels at Kildare - six or seven hundred rebels were killed when the cavalry 'charged without orders' - leading expeditions against various insurrections such as Kildare and Vinegar Hill and writes fiercely condemning the catholic rebels and the leniency of some old generals, warning of future troubles. In 1812 he was in charge of the fortress at Antwerp and as a result was 'noticed...by the Duke of Wellington'. On Napoleon's return from Elba he was fighting once again and describes how the ladies of Antwerp nursed the wounded, how he heard of the Battle of Waterloo and how the French soldiers adored their leader 'many so idolised Bonaparte'. In Ireland in 1817 he describes famine and by the late 1820's was enthusiastically taking part in loyalist Orange meetings, in 1832 being called by Sir Henry Parnell to give evidence to a committee on the disturbances in Ireland. The last section of the journal contains various notes, remedies, accounts, hymns, poetry inspired by the events of his life, an account of his ancestors and a list of gentleman cadets at the Woolwich academy in 1826.
JOURNAL - ROYAL IRISH ARTILLERY] The manuscript journal of Lt. Gen. Robert Crawford of the Irish Royal Artillery, approximately 142pp of closely written text in brown ink, folio, calf backed boards (worn). A detailed, forthright and often prejudiced account, interspersed with family annecdotes, of the life history of Robert Crawford from his birth in 1770 until his 79th year in 1849. Entering the artillery at the age of 16, he later joined the Duke of York's army in Holland. A vivid account of battle and troop movements follows, the difficulties of conditions and supplies, the drunkenness and neglect of the medical staff. He mentions being at Teyl with Lt. Col. Wellesley and the 33rd Regiment of Foot, and at Loo, the residence of King William 'the furniture and paintings were superb', giving his opinion of the Dutch 'A Dutchman's God is money', and the Boors, 'stubborn in the extreme and if irritated ferocious'. He returned to Ireland in 1795 and describes sighting the French fleet off Bantry Bay in 1796 and their 'providential deliverance from invasion'. There follows copies of his official reports of the incident. In 1797 he undertook a voyage to Barbados, experiencing illness, close fighting with a lone French ship and a hurricane off Bermuda. Back in Ireland, a long description of the 1798 Rebellion, describing the defeat of the rebels at Kildare - six or seven hundred rebels were killed when the cavalry 'charged without orders' - leading expeditions against various insurrections such as Kildare and Vinegar Hill and writes fiercely condemning the catholic rebels and the leniency of some old generals, warning of future troubles. In 1812 he was in charge of the fortress at Antwerp and as a result was 'noticed...by the Duke of Wellington'. On Napoleon's return from Elba he was fighting once again and describes how the ladies of Antwerp nursed the wounded, how he heard of the Battle of Waterloo and how the French soldiers adored their leader 'many so idolised Bonaparte'. In Ireland in 1817 he describes famine and by the late 1820's was enthusiastically taking part in loyalist Orange meetings, in 1832 being called by Sir Henry Parnell to give evidence to a committee on the disturbances in Ireland. The last section of the journal contains various notes, remedies, accounts, hymns, poetry inspired by the events of his life, an account of his ancestors and a list of gentleman cadets at the Woolwich academy in 1826.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
