T H E C O V E N A N T E R
outpost line that night and among the It was afterwards learned that when the
troops he had selected for his picquets had headdress of the 90th had first been seen
been the 90th, for whom he had a great by the French through the early morning
admiration. It had been a gruelling duty, for mist the latter had jumped to the mistaken
them having already had an exhausting day conclusion that good fortune had placed at
during which they had been continually on their mercy a British cavalry regiment which
their feet for about ten hours those men had had somehow become separated from its
not been permitted to lie down at all during horses. This was because the 90th were still
the night nor even to remove their heavy wearing the “Tarleton Helmet” of Light
knapsacks. Dragoon style which not only continued
In other words, the 90th had had little to be worn by various British and French
rest on the eve of their first engagement. Cavalry regiments, but which (and this had
The Battle of Mandora apparently been unknown to the French)
At daybreak on the 13th March the men had also been the headgear of certain British
were given an issue of rum and received the Infantry regiments until as recently as the
welcome news that they could leave their previous year when a newly-designed ”stove-
knapsacks in the care of a small party of their patterned” helmet had been introduced for
comrades who were found to be temporarily’ all foot regiments. That the new helmet
unfit for other than light duties. When came had not yet been adopted by the 90th was
the order to advance, shortly after 6 a.m., because only limited supplies of that item
the force moved in three parallel columns, had reached Malta while Abercrombie’s
with the 90th again out in front, acting force had been re-fitting there a few months
as advanced guard to the centre column. earlier.
They had barely got under way, however, Their overwhelming defeat of those rash
before the Regiment’s Vanguard Company French horsemen had cost the 90th and
suddenly saw a thick cloud of dust ahead of 92nd heavy casualties, and they were both
them and were quick to realise that a large to suffer further losses before the day was
body of French Cavalry was rapidly bearing out. As soon as the dust of that encounter
down upon them. With almost machine- had settled, Abercrombie’s leading troops
like precision and regularity (born of their had come under a hail of bullets and grape-
recent training at Marmaris) the remaining shot from the French positions on the higher
Companies of the 90th swung successively ground of the ridge ahead, and he had
into line on the left of their leading one in ordered a general advance. After driving the
readiness to meet that furious onslaught enemy from their foremost entrenchments,
and with orders to withold their fire until the 90th had halted temporarily to reform
the horsemen were almost upon them. their front line before continuing their
Then only a few moments before the steady and unwavering advance towards
wickedly-glinting swords of those galloping their next objective.
French Chasseurs could be brought into It had been while leading his men during
play, there was a deafening roar as that that forward move that the Regiment’s
rock-steady line of Infantrymen discharged Commanding Officer, Lieut. Colonel Roland
the first of many devastating volleys into Hill, had owed his life to his having been
the oncoming hordes, tearing great gaps wearing a helmet of the unique pattern
in their leading ranks and bringing horses which had already misled the French
and riders headlong to the ground in Cavalry earlier that morning. Struck on
writhing and struggling heaps. Such was the head by an enemy bullet, he had been
the confusion caused among the leading knocked off his horse and had had to be
waves of Frenchmen by that withering fire removed from the field with minor injuries
at point-blank range that others behind and severe concussion which had rendered
them wavered and switched their attack him “hors de combat” for some weeks. It
to the right where the 92nd, the Advanced was discovered that although the bullet had
Guard Regiment of the British column on made quite a dent in the crown of his helmet
that flank, had dealt with them in similar the initial force of the blow had been taken
fashion. Riders whose steeds had been shot by the brass-bound peak of that hat. That
from under them had found their swords to very same helmet, still displaying those
be no match for the British bayonets and in dents of long ago, can be seen today in the
a very short time that fierce action was over Royal Army Museum in London where its
leaving very few of those enemy Cavalrymen importance as a relic is heightened because
still unscathed. of the distinguished career of its original

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