Promotion, in our army, goes unluckily by seniority; nor is it in the
power of the General-in-Chief to advance a Caesar, if he finds him
in the capacity of a subaltern: MY reward for the above exploit was,
therefore, not very rich. His Excellency had a favorite horn snuff-box
(for, though exalted in station, he was in his habits most simple):
of this, and about a quarter of an ounce of high-dried Welsh, which he
always took, he made me a present, saying, in front of the line, "Accept
this, Mr. Gahagan, as a token of respect from the first to the bravest
officer in the army."
Calculating the snuff to be worth a halfpenny, I should say that
fourpence was about the value of this gift: but it has at least this
good effect--it serves to convince any person who doubts my story, that
the facts of it are really true. I have left it at the office of my
publisher, along with the extract from the Bengal Hurkaru, and anybody
may examine both by applying in the counting-house of Mr. Cunningham.*
That once popular expression, or proverb, "are you up to snuff?" arose
out of the above circumstance; for the officers of my corps, none of
whom, except myself, had ventured on the storming-party, used to twit me
about this modest reward for my labors. Never mind! when they want me to
storm a fort AGAIN, I shall know better.
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