Sharpe's Company

Richard Sharpe at the Siege of Badajoz, 1812

***

Sharpe gets to partake in two sieges in the Peninsular War. First up is Ciudad Rodrigo, the northern barrier to Spain. Second is the much larger and better defended fortress of Badajoz, one of the bloodiest battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Estimates say the British army suffered 4800 killed in a few short hours of intense fighting. Wellesley wanted to hasten the conclusion of the siege, as he was concerned about the approach of French reinforcements. Many thought the siege cannons needed more time to open the breaches in the walls and further reduce the French defenses.

When General Wellesley beheld the aftermath, with hundreds and hundreds of dead British soldiers piled against the defenses, he wept openly. And cursed the British government for not properly funding and equipping his Peninsular army.

At the conclusion of the siege, which was actually the third British siege of the Badajoz fortress, Wellesley commanded the Portugal-Spain frontier, and had secured his path into the heart of French held Spain. Now we're getting somewhere!

In this book we see the return of a horrible human piece of trash: Sergeant Obadiah bloody Hakeswill. Hakeswill joins Sharpe's company and sows his discord, as befitting his status as a world-class malcontent. Sharpe wants to kill him. Harper wants to kill him. Sharpe's new/old ladyfriend Teresa wants to kill him.The rest of the regiment wants to kill him. After much conniving, the disgusting brute manages to get away. We haven't seen this guy since way back in Sharpe's Tiger (the first book in the Richard Sharpe adventure story). My gut (and some research on Wikipedia) says we haven't seen the last of ol' Obadiah Hakeswill just yet.