Biographia Hibernica/Hume Caldwell
HUME CALDWELL,
Who in the compass of a very short life, obtained more military glory than has fallen to the lot of most individuals who have embraced the profession of arms, was the third son of Sir John Caldwell, of Castle Caldwell, and great grandson of the subject of the preceding article. Possessed of all those warm and generous feelings so peculiar to the Irish, blended with a share of that uncalculating ardour of mind, more honourable than profitable, which has also been considered their characteristic, he rose deservedly and rapidly to high military honours.
He was born in the year 1735, and being intended for the university, was instructed in the Latin and Greek languages, under a private tutor, till he was about fourteen years of age, at which time he had made considerable progress in both.
His brother, Sir James, having distinguished himself in the army of the Empress Queen, to whose notice he had thus recommended himself, she made him an offer of taking one of his brothers into her service, which he accepted in favour of Hume, who was therefore placed in a French academy at Dublin, to learn the modern language and mathematics. Here, being, though so young, troubled with some symptoms of the gout, he gave a specimen of that firmness and self-denial which were his characteristics, by abstaining, at the recommendation of his masters from animal food and fermented liquors, and during a year that he remained there, was never known to depart once from this rule.
In the year 1750, on the conclusion of the peace, his brother quitted the imperial service, and returned to London, whither Hume repaired, and was furnished by him with letters of recommendation to Marshal Konigsegg, a letter of credit on Baron Aguilar for a 1000l. and 300l. in money, with which, and a valet acquainted with the language, he set out on his journey to Vienna.
They were to go in the stage coach to Harwich, and the baggage having been sent to the inn the night before, they were to meet it the next morning. By some negligence or other, however, they did not arrive till-the coach had been gone at least half an hour. The servant proposed taking post horses, but Hume refused, saying, he was resolved that no new expense should accrue from his want of diligence or punctuality, aud insisted on their trying to overtake the coach on foot. They accordingly set out running until they were out of breath, and walking till they were able to run again; but with all their exertions they could not reach the coach till they came to the place where it stopped for the passengers to breakfast. They now calculated on a comfortable journey the rest of their way, but unfortunately, the places which had been taken for them, were filled by two women. Hume’s gallantry would not permit him to assert his right; he therefore complimented the females with the places, and went the rest of the journey with his attendant on the outside.
On his arrival at Vienna, he was received by Marshal Konigsegg and his lady, with marks of an almost parental affection, and they being persons of high distinction, he imagined that he also ought to support that character. For this purpose be took expensive lodgings, kept a chariot, a running footman, and a hussar, and was admitted into the highest circles; but at the close of about five weeks, finding his stock of cash much diminished, and having formed a resolution not to have recourse to the letter of credit which he possessed, he determined to repair immediately to the corps in which he was to serve; he, therefore expressed to the marshal a wish to obtain an audience of the Empress Queen. The marshal highly approved of this undertaking, and immediately procured him that honour, her majesty being always easy of access.
When introduced to her majesty, he expressed, in a very animated speech in the French language, his resolution to devote himself entirely and for ever to her service, and his determination either to rise to a distinguished command in her armies, or to die in the attempt.
The empress was so much pleased with this spirited yet modest address, that she told him she did not at all doubt of his efforts in her service, and said some obliging things of the Irish; inquired very graciously after his brother, and concluded by saying, that she had recommended him to Marshal Konigsegg for preferment, who was himself very much inclined to serve him.
After quitting the empress, be repaired to the marshal, and begged to be sent to his regiment, where he said he would serve and improve himself in learning the language and his duty, till his excellency should think proper to honour him with a commission. The marshal gave him a letter of recommendation in the strongest terms to the colonel of the regiment who was then at the head-quarters at Coningsgratz.
Hume immediately went to his lodgings, discharged his servants, and paid all his debts after which, to his surprise, he found he had but two gold ducats left. This was a blow that completely disconcerted all his measures, as it disabled him from appearing as a volunteer in the army a station very incompatible with his present circumstances as he continued firm in his resolution not to touch his letter of credit. Still, however, determined upon learning the language and military discipline of the country, without losing time in fruitless regret, he packed up his clothes and other ornaments, and deposited them all at his banker’s except the worst suit, which he wore; even this, however, was too good for his present purpose; he, therefore, exchanged it for worse with a Jew dealer in second-hand clothes.
He destroyed the marshal’s letter, which could now be of no service to him, and thus equipped, the companion of princes, the friend of Count Konigsegg, the possessor of a splendid hotel, and a gilt chariot, who had kept a hussar, and an opera girl, figured at court, and had an audience from the empress, and was possessed of a letter of credit for a 1000l. (animated by the same spirit which had, when he suffered the stage-coach to leave him behind, urged him rather to overtake it on foot than incur the expense of hiring horses by his delay) set out from Vienna alone, on foot, in a mean habit, and with an empty pocket, for that army, in which he was to rise by his merit, to a distinguished command. Having arrived at a village near Prague, where a party of Konigsegg’s regiment was quartered, he enlisted by a feigned name as a private soldier. In this humble station he made so great a progress in the language, and behaved with so much diligence, as to be particularly noticed by the lieutenant who commanded the party.
In about two months time, Konigsegg wrote to the colonel, inquiring after Hume Caldwell, and, at the same time, sent an ensign’s commission for him. The colonel, in great astonishment, wrote, in answer to the marshal, that he knew no such person, nor had he ever received any recommendation of him, neither had any such person joined the regiment. The marshal in his reply, expressed great regard for the young gentleman, and directed inquiry to be made after him. Inquiry was immediately made, but no tidings could be heard; at last, somebody informed the colonel, that there was an Irish soldier at certain quarters, who might possibly know something of him. He was immediately sent for, and the colonel, asking him if he knew of any such person, mentioning, at the same time, that there was a commission sent down for him, was surprised to hear him answer, that he was the man.
The lieutenant under whom he had enlisted, having commended him in the highest terms, these circumstances were communicated by the colonel to the marshal, and by the latter to the empress, who soon after gave him a lieutenancy. He continued to apply himself very diligently to the study of his profession, but an accident happened to him which was near putting an end to his life and prospects at once, Reading one night in bed, he fell asleep, and the candle falling from his hand, set fire to the curtains; he was however, fortunate enough to escape in time to save the house from destruction, but the greater part of the furniture in the room was consumed; on account of which the people of the house obtained the sequestration of half his pay, till the damage was made good. This involved him in great distress, but he acquiesced without complaint. The circumstance, however, soon became known, and coming to the knowledge of a large convent of Irish franciscans established at Prague, one of the fathers of which happening to have known Sir John Caldwell, our young hero’s father, in Ireland, gave this account of him to the fraternity:– “Sir John,” said he, “though a staunch protestant, always treated the Roman catholics with humanity and tenderness: in particular, one stormy day, when it rained very hard, he discovered a priest with his congregation, at mass under a hedge: and instead of taking that opportunity of blaming them for meeting so near his house, he ordered his cows to be driven out of a neighbouring cow-house, and signified to the priest and people that they might take shelter from the weather, and finish their devotion in peace. It ill becomes us, therefore, brethren,” said he, “to see the son of Sir John Caldwell distressed in a strange country, remote from all his friends, without affording him assistance.”
The fraternity, having heard this account, contrived, by mutual consent, to have the debt paid, unknown to young Caldwell, who, shortly afterwards, being advanced to a company, presented them with treble the sum, and returned his brother’s letter of credit. From this time he was actively engaged in the duties of his profession, in which he rose gradually but rapidly. He was of great service in cutting off the convoys, and annoying the reinforcements which were sent to the assistance of the King of Prussia, during the siege of Olmutz, particularly in the defeat and destruction of the great convoy, the loss of which compelled Frederic to raise the siege. In this action he so highly distinguished himself, as to be made a major on the field of battle, by General Laudoho; and in the course of the ensuing winter, he was created a knight of the military order.
In the campaign of 1760, he was appointed to the command of two battalions, four hundred croats, and two squadrons of hussars,which formed the advanced guard before the battle of Landshut, in which memorable battle he forced the enemy, sword in hand, from three formidable entrenchments, made himself master of the hill, and contributed much to the taking of General Fouquet, who commanded the Prussian army. All the other field-officers of his regiment being wounded in this action, he commanded it during the remainder of the campaign, and being sent to Glatz, contributed much to the taking of that important fortress. The army of General Laudohn being entirely routed by the King of Prussia at Lignitz, Caldwell, observing a favourable opportunity for the horse to charge, by a wonderful exertion of spirit and presence of mind, gave the commanding officers orders in the general’s name to advance, and placing himself at their head, succeeded in putting a stop to the progress of the Prussians, by which means he secured the retreat of almost half of the army, which was dispersed and in the utmost confusion. For this important service he was immediately advanced to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and in the succeeding campaign always commanded the advanced or rear-guard of Laudohn’s army, when on a march.
At the storming of Schweidnitz, he acted as that general’s immediate instrument, being put at the head of a considerable corps; and the assault being entirely left to him, which, although he had never before been in that fortress he conducted with consummate skill, himself leading one of the most difficult and dangerous attacks. He succeeded at the first onset, and being the first field-officer that entered the town, was sent to Dresden and to Marshal Daun with an account of the success, and was immediately made a colonel. To follow him through all the battle and sieges in which he was engaged during these campaigns, would be giving a history of Laudohn’s army suffice it to say, that he was in every action of consequence in which that army was engaged, and was honoured by so much of the general’s confidence as to be very frequently employed above his rank, in preference to many older officers.
He had received two severe wounds in cutting off the king of Prussia’s convoy at Olmutz, in consequence of which he had been left for dead, and a slight one at the escalade of Schweidnitz. In July 1762, a short time before the last siege of that fortress, he was ordered thither by Daun to assist in its defence. On the 8th of August the trenches were opened, and on the 9th he commanded a well-conducted sally. On the 13th, at night, be conducted a second, in which he was struck by an iron cartridge ball, on the outside of the upper part of his left arm, which broke the articulation of his shoulder, and driving the limb with great force against his side, caused a violent and extensive contusion, which was pronounced by the surgeon to be much more dangerous than the fracture. He appeared so greatly better in the course of a few days, as to give hopes of his recovery, but on the 18th such an alteration for the worse had taken place, as gave a certain presage of his death. About seven o’clock that evening he sent for a particular friend, Captain Sullivan, who commanded a company of grenadiers in Konigsegg’s regiment; but as he was upon duty, he could not leave his post till he was relieved, which was about nine. As soon as he came into the room, the colonel said to him, “My dear Sullivan, as you have known me intimately several years, you know that I never feared the hour that is now come: I find so strange an alteration in myself since yesterday, and have sensations so different from all I ever felt before, that I think it impossible I should live through this night: the only favour I have to beg of you is, that you would acquaint my mother and brothers that I die like an honest man, who always had his duty in view; tell them, that I always had my family and country at heart, and that it was the constant study of my life to do them honour. As God is now calling me from this world, I desire to be thankful to him for all his goodness to me in it, which has been very extraordinary, for all my undertakings have been crowned with success I am still more thankful that I have now nothing to reproach myself with, and that I can die not only with resignation, but comfort.”
After this, Mr. Sullivan remained with him the whole night, he settled his affairs, told him what he owed, and what he possessed; a person was sent for to make his will, by which he directed his debts to be paid, and gave pecuniary rewards to all his servants, appointing Captain Sullivan his executor: the rest of the night he spent with a minister of the Lutheran church, and in talking of his mother, his brothers, and family.
At eight Captain Sullivan left him, but returned again at ten, when he found him delirious. He staid till twelve, when the last agony coming on, he could no longer sustain the pain it gave him to be present at such a scene, and therefore retired. About two o’clock in the afternoon of the 19th of August, 1762, the colonel died, in the twenty-seventh year of his age, and was buried the next day, in a kind of a chapel or grotto, in the Lutheran church-yard, which is reserved for persons of distinction.
Thus died in the post of honour, at the age of twenty-seven, Colonel Hume Caldwell, sincerely and deservedly lamented by the empress, the general, and the whole army. To what high rank and honours such an ardent spirit and such high professional skill might have elevated him, had he lived, may be conjectured from this faint sketch of a life, short but brilliant. Indeed, had he survived this fatal siege, he would have been immediately appointed a general, and also chamberlain to their imperial majesties, as appears by letters since received by his brother, Sir James. The regret felt by such a man as General Laudohn, for his death, is the best proof of his worth; we shall therefore conclude this article by the following translation of a letter from that general to Colonel Lockhart, on the subject.
“Notwithstanding the frequent sallies that have been made since the beginning of the siege, our loss has not been very considerable; the greatest that we have suffered is by the death of Colonel Chevalier de Caldwell, who, in one of the sallies, which was conducted by him, as well as many others, had the misfortune to be wounded, of which he died in three days after.
“I have no occasion to represent to you the very great and just affection I have suffered on account of his death. You know very well how much I honoured and esteemed that worthy officer, who, by his intrepidity and courage, which was so natural to him, as well as by his amiable qualities, had gained the friendship of all the generals of the army, as w ell as the universal esteem of the public. His memory shall be for ever dear to me; indeed he is universally lamented.
“As I know the friendship which subsisted between you, I am persuaded this account will give you the greatest affliction. I entreat that you would acquaint his family, and in particular his brother the count, with this melancholy event; it gives me the greatest pain to be obliged to acquaint them with it, and I myself, on this occasion, am very much to be pitied.”
“Dated at Shiobe, the 27th of August, 1762.”
HENRY CALDWELL,
Great grandson of Sir James, and brother of Hume Caldwell, served as captain of the 36th regiment of foot,