Beschreibung:

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Corunna, Barrosa, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive (Wm. A. Raynes, Lieut. R. Arty.) in its named card box of issue, dark toned, extremely fine £3000-3500 Footnote Sold with a quantity of original documents including his hand-written ‘Journal of the Campaign and Siege of Tarifa 1811-1812’; hand-written ‘Brigade Orders 31 Decr. 1811 & 5 & 9 Jany. 1812’ concerning the Defence of Tarifa and signed by Colonel J. B. Skerrett; a parchment bound pocket book ‘taken out of a French soldier’s knapsack at Vittoria 1813’, in which he continues his ‘Journal’ from May 1813 to July 1814, also containing numerous notes and various letters, many pages used by Lieutenant Raynes to record various routes of march, etc.; detailed statements of the services of Brevet Major W. A. Raynes; an original ‘field order’ from Lieutenant-Colonel A. S. Frazer, dated 22 February 1814, instructing that Lieutenant Raynes ‘with 3 non comd. officers and four gunners with spikes will cross with the first Party and spike the guns of the battery at the mouth of the Adour, which being accomplished Lt. Raynes will return to the left bank of the Adour and take charge of the Rocket Detachts. on that side...’, with subsequent notes by Raynes listing the names of the bombardiers and gunners that successfully performed this task; a manuscript notebook kept by Lieutenant Raynes containing various ‘Scraps’ and ‘Original Anecdotes &c’, signed and dated twice, 1816 and 1823; and a book ‘Picked up on the field at the Battle of Vittoria 21st June 1813’ by Lieutenant Raynes, titled Aide-Mémoire a l’usage des Officiers D’Artillerie de France, Paris, 1809. William Augustus Raynes was appointed a Gentleman Cadet in the R.M.A. at Woolwich on 8 May 1804; obtained a Second Lieutenancy in the Royal Artillery 26 April 1806; and was promoted First Lieutenant on 22 October 1806, in Captain Percy Drummond’s Company, 3rd Battalion. He describes his consequent war services thus: 1807 - Served at the siege of Copenhagen. 1808-9 - Served with the Expeditionary Force sent to Sweden under Lt. Genl. Sir John Moore which afterwards proceeded to Portugal. Was with the Army under Sir John Moore on the advance into Spain and subsequent retreat to Corunna, with Capt. Drummond’s Brigade of Lt. 6 Pounders attached to the Rear Guard of Infantry. 1809 - Exchanged into Capt. Alexr. Dickson’s Company, 1st Battalion. 1810 - Served at the Defence of Cadiz during July, in the Puntalis Fort and the Batteries of the Isla de Leon. 1811 - Served with the Expeditionary Force under M-Genl. Graham terminating in the Battle of Barrosa. 1811-12 - Volunteered to join Captain Hughes’ Compy. 9th Battn. and served with it at the Defence of Tarifa when besieged by the French Army. Was present in all the previous Field Operations under Colonel Skerrett, and was mentioned in Public Orders and Despatches for conduct in a Sortie from the Town on the 22nd December - “To Captains Livesay and Somershall of the Light Comps 47th and 87th Regts. and to Lieut. Raynes of the Royal Artillery who, on the 22nd December, made a sortie with a Field Piece and with the greatest intrepidity drove a very superior force of the enemy’s light troops from their strong position in front of the Convent, the fire from the gun doing great execution”. 1812 - Returned to Cadiz 29th Jany. and resumed former duties with my Compy. in the Batteries of the Isla de Leon. Volunteered to join Capt. Roberts’ Compy. 10th Battn. and proceeded with the Force under Colonel Skerrett, which landed at Huelba, and marched to the attack of Seville, which place was taken by Assault, and Marshal Soult’s Rear Guard driven out of it, on the 27th August, on which occasion Col. Skerrett was pleased to say that the Lt. 5.5 inch Howrs. under my command had “galled the enemy severely” at the attack of the Bridge. Rejoined my Compy. in Septr., commanded by Second Captn. Rick Cairnes, who brought up with it a 9 Pr. Field Battery from Cad