(Royal Hospital Chelsea.) A collection of Autograph Letters ...

Estimate

£100 - £200

(Royal Hospital Chelsea.) A collection of Autograph Letters Signed, certified copy letters, extracts from original letters, papers etc, c.1820's-1850's, sent to and relating to Sir John Morillyon Wilson (1783-1868), Adjutant and later Major and Commandant of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, Gentleman usher of the Privy Chamber to Queen Adelaide c.1830-1849, companion of the order of the Bath and a knight of the royal Hanoverian Guelphic order, earlier thirteen times wounded during his service in the Royal Navy and the Army, in the Peninsula and in North America where he was desperately wounded at the battle of Chippewa and his life saved by a native American woman before he was taken prisoner, the letters, extract letters and copy letters include ALS Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780-1863), to J.M.W., 1839, re death of Col. Houghton; ALS Lord John Russell (1792-1878) to J.M.W., July 14th 1838, recommending J.M.W. for Knighthood; envelope containing several letters relating to J.M.W.'s wounds, including Army Medical Board reports etc, including "certified copy of letter from Lord Lynedoch - Cadiz 1811. The original letter was given to me by Sir. H. Torrens...when I was taken prisoner in 1814, J.M.W. [signed in initials by Wilson]", dated 4 May 1843, certified to be a true copy of a letter written by Wilson at Cadiz 2 July 1811, Army Medical Department report dated 26 Nov. 1825, signed J. McGregor & N. Franklin "Report of Army Medical Board. Colonel John Morillyon Wilson, formerly of the Royal Scots, appeared for examination, on the expiration of the period, for which he had obtained a pension for wounds received in the Service. Referring to our four previous examinations...for a wound in the right foot, received in Egypt in 1801. A wound of the head, received in 1803 on board ship;- a wound of the chest, received at the Siege of Flushing in 1809;- & for three wounds of the left arm; three wounds of the left thigh; & one in the haunch bone, received near Niagara, in 1814. We proceeded to examine Colonel Wilson for the fifth time. Colonel Wilson states that he is much worse than at the last examination, & his appearance, which is much emaciated, accords with this assertion. He does not complain...from the wound of the chest, but much from the wound of the head; & his memory and recollection, have of late become greatly impaired. He occasionally feels great pain in the seat of the wound of his right foot; of which he is lame: he suffers much from the wounds in his left arm...one of the balls still continues lodged, & imbedded among the soft parts, between the two bones of the fore arm near the elbow. He complains of want of power in the left arm & hand, which are wasted; & is unable to hold a bridle, or an umbrella, & cannot now walk with a cruch under his left arm. Colonel Wilson complains most grievously of the severe wounds he received in his left thigh & haunch, (one of them is now open, & lately three pieces of bone exfoliated from it). One of the balls is still lodged, & presses on considerable & important nerves...He is troubled with painful affections of the head...which are occasioned by the pressure of the ball, which is lodged on the outside of the sacrum...On the whole, few cases of more aggravated distress and disability, from severe wounds, have come before us, we have no doubt, the life of the Officer wil be shortened by their results...& we see not the least prospect of permanent amendment...", [3]pp ALS from John Morillyon Wilson detailing his various wounds received whilst serving in the Royal Navy & Army, "Chelsea College. In 1799 when I was a midshipman...I sailed with the expedition to the Helder where I received my first wound. In 1800 I volunteered to cut out a small Spanish vessel anchored near the Bay of Teneriffe; on which occasion I was wounded in my left hand, & pitched into the sea...& narrowly escaped being drowned. In Egypt in 1801 I was seriously wounded in the instep of my right foot...In the bay of Tropez in 1803I was wounded on the head by the fall of a block...which ultimately obliged me to relinquish the navy...In 1805 Lord Lansdowne bought me an Ensigncy in the Army & in 1809 at the landing in Walcheren faced a heavy contusion on my left side from a...shot, & later, during the siege, I was shot through the body: the ball penetrating my right breast, & was extracted near the spinal column...In 1813...on Lake Ontario, & in a night attack...I received a bayonet wound in my right hand...In 1814 - In the severa action at Chippaway near the falls of Niagara, I received in the short space of 3/4 of an hour, several wounds:- viz - three in my left arm - one ball having shattered the upper ball of the fore arm - a 2nd ball was extracted - and the thirs is still lodged near the two bones...near my elbow - a fourth ball struck me on the neck - a 5th entered my thigh & was extracted - a 6th passed through the upper part of my left thigh... - & the seventh ball penetrated near my left groin & passed...to the region of the spinal column where it is still odged...It was the last of these wounds that finished me, & left me a prisoner in the hands of the enemy. And in that almost lifeless situation a merciless Indian planted his foot on my throat & with the point of his scalping knife on my head, he was preparing to inflict on me the additional agony of being scalped, when a random shot, from his own party, struck him on the head & he fell dead, across my body. I have served in Holland - in Egypt - in Walcheren - on the Peninsula - in Canada, & in the West Indies where I was for three years as Government Secretary & A.D.C. to Sir Phineas riall...I have endeavoured to make this as short as possible & I shall refer you to the accompanying testimonials as to the bearing of my character as a soldier - I was always in the Duke of Kents Regt. (The Royal Scots). ever Yours Affecty. J. Morillyon Wilson", undated on chain lined, watermarked, laid paper; other papers include good quantity of the aforementioned various testimonials, several certified copies, including copy letters from Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820), father of Queen Victoria, to Sir Henry Torrens, originally sent June 2nd 1815, on 1837 watermarked paper, plus others Duke of Kent, Sir Gordon Drummond, General Bloomfield, certified copy of a letter sent to the Duke of Kent from Wilson, originally sent 1815, copy made 1831, at Chelsea Hospital, with Wilson's signatures and signature of Samuel Hulse, Governor, envelope containing 13 letters c.1815-1837 with contemp. m/s note on envelope "original testimonials from General Riall, Lord Lynedoch, The Duke of Kent &c &c with official examination for wounds, etc; packet of 13 ALS from William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (1787-1872) to Wilson, c.1815-1852, content re Wilson's military pension etc; other family letters etc, some papers/letters relating to duels including copy letter from Mr Manton to Sir J.M. Wilson re duel 1820 "...his friend the gentleman who fought with Col. W. on the 14th...is no more. He died in consequence of the wound he received in his breast. and altho' it is not probable that Col wilson will now be informed of either his real name or situation in life, he may still feel a satisfaction in knowing that he died declaring himself to be the aggressor, and most honorably acquitting Col. W. of all blame in the unfortunate altercation that led to their duel. Neither Mr. Manton nor his friend were aware that Col. W. was wounded before it was announced in the morning Chronicle. Col. wilson has Mr Manton's best wishes for his recovery", an ALS signed "...Macdonald" to Wilson on paper watermarked 1817, handwriting probably legible but difficult to decipher, m/s pen & ink note verso of letter "relative to a duel. Macdonald. Lady Huntford [?]. Letter - from Mr M---- [?]"; other letters Sir John Conroy, ALS Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge (1785-1856), headed War Office, 31 July 1830, to Wilson, ALS Field Marshal Sir Alexander George Woodford (1782-1870), [6 1/2]pp, December 30, 1857, etc, other papers relating to Duk of Kent and a debt, etc etc. John Morillyon Wilson served as a Midshipman in the Navy for nearly six years. He was employed on the coast of Ireland during the Rebellion in 1798, as well as in the expedition to the Helder in 1799 and Egypt in 1801, where he received a medal from the Captain Pasha for having saved the lives of a boat’s crew belonging to a Turkish man-of-war. He received three wounds whilst as a Midshipman, the last being a severe wound to the head causing total deafness, in consequence of which he was invalided, and quitted the Navy in 1803. His health being restored, Wilson joined the 40th Foot in 1804, before moving to the 63rd Foot in January 1807. Later that year he was a Captain in the 1st Foot (Royals), serving with the 3rd Battalion at Walcheren in 1809, where he was again wounded twice leading the grenadier company during the assault on Flushing. In 1810, he was brought before court martial for using language ‘subversive to discipline, and disrespectful to the character of Colonel Barnes,’ his commanding officer. Although acquitted of conduct unbecoming of a gentlemen, he was found guilty of using language that was disrespectful and sentenced to a public reprimand. He afterwards served in the Peninsula, and was in the battles of Busaco, the retreat to the lines of Torres Vedras, and at the actions of Pombal, Redinha, Condeixa, Casal Nova, Foz d’Arouce, and Sabugal, the blockade of Almeida, and battle of Fuentes D’Onor. In 1812 he joined the 2nd Battalion Royals in Canada, and was in the attack made on Sackett’s Harbour and Great Sodus, where he received a severe bayonet wound. He was also in the actions at Fort Niagara, Black Rock, Buffalo, and the battle of Chippewa. The battle of Chippewa was the first major engagement between Major-General Jacob Brown’s Left Division of the United States Army and the Right Division of Upper Canada led by Major-General Phineas Riall. Both commanders committed a brigade onto the plain of Chippewa during the afternoon of 5 July 1814. The three British units included the 1/1st Foot, 1/8th Foot and 100th Foot. The 1st Foot formed the centre of the British line, and its pre-battle reported strength was 500 all ranks under Lieutenant-Colonel John Gordon. Heavily engaged during the battle, the Royals suffered one officer and 77 other ranks killed, and 8 officers and 144 other ranks wounded. Two officers were taken prisoner and 77 soldiers were reported as missing. Captain John Morillyon Wilson was one of the two severely wounded officers that were taken prisoner. He had been wounded seven times and left for dead on the battlefield. A native armed with a knife then attacked him, but Wilson killed his attacker and was then kept alive by a native woman from a nearby village before being taken prisoner. He was exchanged in February 1815. During his career in the two professions he received 13 wounds, and it is said carried two balls lodged in his body to the grave. The Brevet rank of Major, and that of Lieutenant Colonel, was conferred on him for his conduct at Buffalo and Chippewa. He was placed on half pay in 1822, promoted Colonel in January 1837, and created a Companion of the Bath on 19 July 1838. Colonel Wilson was Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber for nearly 20 years to Queen Adelaide. He was appointed Adjutant of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea on 16 November 1822, and Major of the same establishment on 14 July 1855, which position he held until his death there in 1868. Wilson's Napoleonic War group of five medals sold at Noonans Mayfair for a hammer price of £36,000, 23 July 2024.