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Lot 89

PENINSULAR WAR
Series of twenty-four autograph letters signed by Captain, subsequently Major, Samuel Hext, of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot, to members of his family in England, Obdios, Coimbra, Lisbon, Tarracilla, Villar, Le Mas, and elsewhere, 1809-1814

24 June 2015, 11:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £4,750 inc. premium

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PENINSULAR WAR

Series of twenty-four autograph letters signed by Captain, subsequently Major, Samuel Hext, of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot, to members of his family in England, including his brother Captain Francis Hext of the Cornish Militia, describing his service during Wellington's Peninsular Campaign between 1809 and 1814, covering many actions including the Battle of Talavera, written on the day of battle itself ("...they opened a tremendous Fire from about 16 Pieces of Artillery on our Centre, the chief Effects of which fell upon our Battalion which lost five Officers & upwards of 40 Men from it. The Action was continued on our left till 2 in the Afternoon when an immense Body of Cavalry Infantry & Artillery advanced thro' the Plain (apparently fresh Troops) evidently with the Intention of carrying the Town, within a Mile of our Lines they formed several Lines & advanced thro' the Olive Groves in high style; our Right which chiefly under Cover of the Hedges did not wait their Approach but dashed into the Groves and charged them in every Direction... We lost 15 Officers of 24 & 250 Men of 500 who went into Action among others my unfortunate Friend Gordon was killed he was wounded in the neck in the charge & blown to Pieces by a shell while carrying off the Field. I am very well but nearly starved, we were two Days without Provisions..."); address panels, postmarked, some 75 pages, dust-staining and other signs of wear but overall in very good to fine condition, 4to, Obdios, Coimbra, Lisbon, Tarracilla, Villar, Le Mas, and elsewhere, 1809-1814

Footnotes

'HE WAS WOUNDED IN THE NECK IN THE CHARGE & BLOWN TO PIECES BY A SHELL WHILE CARRYING OFF THE FIELD. I AM VERY WELL BUT NEARLY STARVED' - a series of letters describing service in Wellington's Peninsular Campaign and its aftermath. The author, Samuel Hext, was a Captain in the 83rd Regiment who was promoted Captain and awarded the Army Gold Medal for gallantry at Badajoz.

Included with his Peninsula letters is his journal of service with the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot during the Egyptian campaign of Sir Ralph Abercromby in 1800 (including an account of the Battle of Alexandria, opening: "At 4 in the morning a party of about 300 of the Enemy surprised a small redoubt on our left but on the approach of our Picquets after a little firing the retreated. At 5 a column of 6000 Infantry flanked by a large body of Cavalry advanced in the greatest order against our right: a Division of the Infantry made a most desperate attack on our principle redoubt but were repulsed by the 28th Regmt they returned several times to the attack but were obliged to retreat with immediate loss..."); together with a similar volume recording general orders issued during the campaign; his commission as lieutenant signed by George III; a memorial of his services and sundry other papers, including several relating to Admiral William Hext. See illustration on preceding page.

Additional information

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