Lashed for Stealing Shoes, Spain.

Army Structure

Conflict in Europe

Soldiers life

Southern Disbanded Regiments

The Royal Irish Fusiliers

During the Peninsular War, the following extract appeared in the Commander’s Orders for Spain and Portugal on 19 September 1809:

At a General Court Martial held at Badajoz by order of His Excellency Sir Arthur Wellesley, the court proceeded to the trial of … [amongst others] John Miggins, 87th, Michael Kiggan, 87th … . For plundering His Majesty’s stores of Shoes while on an escort from Lisbon with the said stores; to which the prisoners pleaded not guilty … are of the opinion, they are each and every one of them guilty of the charge preferred against them, being a breach of the Articles of War; and by virtue thereof, sentence them to receive a punishment of 500 lashes each.

… John Miggins and Michael Kiggan, of the 87th regiment, are to receive their punishment from the drummers of the 88th regiment, [Connaughts] and are afterwards to be sent to the hospital at Elvas.

To read more about the punishment of lashing, click on the Articles of War.