Disclaimer: These are works of fan-fiction created for entertainment. It is not the intention of the author to infringe on anyone's copyright. No rights infringement intended. Warning: General Audience

The Sharpe Fan Fictions of Paul K.

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Bernard Cornwell’s

SHARPE’S Trek

Richard Sharpe and the
Battle of Saldanha Bay

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
SHARPE’S TREK. Copyright © 2024 by Paul Kaster
Sharpe’s Trek is for Christian Parkinson, host of the Redcoat Military History podcast and a resident of South Africa
And
Bernard Cornwell who brought Richard Sharpe into our world.

Chapter 1
August 7, 1796 DAY 1

Capetown



In September of 1795, the British took control from the Dutch of Cape Town to secure their trade with India. When the Dutch revolutionaries created the Batavian Republic, they assembled a force to retake Cape Town. The Dutch fleet reached Saldanha Bay on August 6, but had suffered from lack of water and provisions on the way.

Major General James Craig commanded British forces at Cape Town. Weeks before he and Admiral Elphinstone had learned that the Dutch force was on the way. The following day, Craig’s scouts reported that the Dutch had reached Saldanha Bay. He assembled a force of approximately 6,000 to confront the Dutch while Elphinstone would confront from the sea. His composite light companies lead the force. General Craig traveled with the next group. Behind them, the artillery and supply wagons finished the procession.


“Goal first day is to reach Blaauwberg. The scouts say we should be able to make ten or eleven miles per day if we march eight hours. Nine days to reach Saldanha.” Craig had told his battalion commanders

“Admiral Elphinstone plans to arrive outside the bay before us to prevent the Dutch from sailing away.”

Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie who would lead the advance had said.

“My battalion will be there to meet Elphinstone. We can travel faster than the wagons and cannons.”

“Thank you colonel, you can show us the way, but we will need the cannons to reach the enemy’s ships. Yesterday, Lieutenant McNab’s mounted men saw the Dutch struggling to go ashore. He did observe them unloading cannon to defend the anchorage. McNab is at your service to scout ahead.

Sergeant Hakeswill was not happy.

“Light company will stand at attention! Captain will review you. Not ready. Not ready. You are slovenly!”

Hakeswill looks at the two rows of men of the Light Company of the 33rd Regiment of Foot. The other nine companies of the regiment are encamped outside Cape Town. The Light Company has been selected by General Craig to join the light companies from the other regiments of his force to be the lead battalion on a march to intercept an enemy Dutch force to the north.

Hakeswill marches stiffly around the two rows of men. He examines every one of them to make sure that they meet his standard of dress and form. He finds fault with few, but when he does, he berates the poor soldier with curses and blows of his fist.

When he reaches the third section, he pause in front of the first two soldiers. Both of them stand to attention perfectly.

“Sharpie. Hat’s not regulation. Not regulation.”

“Hat, sergeant? Same hat as others. Gave up the bicornes before we left. New hats, sergeant. Regulation hat, sergeant.”

“Bicorne is regulation. Top hats not regulation.”

Sharpe has had Hakeswill pick him out for the new hats since they the new hats were issued back in England. Hakeswill does not like change. He does not like Sharpe. Hakeswill had worn a bicorne since he joined the army. The army has now chosen to replace it. Hakeswill picks on Sharpe and his friend Garrard because Hakeswill has not been able to scare them to do his will they way that he has most of the company. Sharpe has learned not to directly confront Hakeswill.

“No bicornes here, sergeant. Top hats only, sergeant.”

“Troublemaker, Sharpie. Garrard and you trouble.”

“We pass inspection sergeant?”

Hakeswill doesn’t answer but moves on past them.

Sharpe whispers to Garrard. “Tom, We’ve been here for months. Colonel told us when we left England that we are to go to h’India. Still waiting.”

“Not waiting today, Dick. Just happy to be off the ship. We been here more than two months. General asked. Our Sherbrooke gave us to the general. Seems they want us light troops to lead the way to wherever the general is to take us. Hughes says we go east with the other five light companies that are here.”

“Still not going to h’India, Tom. And, last time, colonel gave the light company away, didn’t end well for Hume and those boys. Most of ‘em died with Grey in the Indies.”

“Sharpe! Garrard! Shut your gobs!” Sergeant Hakeswill spewed the command to them. “Captain says we are ready to march. No talking. You ain't got orders to talk.”

Hakeswill turns towards the front of the column. “We follow those damn Scots. Colonel says Scots company leads today. Tomorrow, 80th company leads. Day after we lead. If we needs more than six days, we do it again until we reach ocean.”

Tom whispers to Sharpe. “We lead every three days. March in the others’ dust until.”

Sharpe nods. “Three more companies with us too. Better to march behind two than five other companies.”

Hakeswill grumbles, “ ‘ave to watch Scottish arses march in front of us.”

Sharpe jibes, “And listen to Hakeswill spout wise words all along the way. He marches with Hughes at the front of our first two sections. Forty men of our own company to follow.”

At the head of the company, Captain Hughes watched Sergeant Hakeswill prepare the men for the march. He turns to watch the light companies of the 78th and the 80th follow Colonel MacKenzie who leads the march from riding on his horse.

Hughes turns in his saddle “Sergeant Hakeswill! Form the men. Column of fours.”

Hakeswill shouts, “33rd. Attention!”

Hakeswill watches the men come to attention.

“Column of fours!”

The eighty men of the Light Company form into eighteen rows that each had four men. Hakeswill marches down the line of rows. When he reaches Sharpe he stops.

“Watchin’ you, Sharpe. You keep third section. No officer, sergeant or corporal. Only you. Told captain to give Crowley third section. Colonel told Hughes it’s you.”

“Something special Sharpe? Colonel’s pet, Sharpe?”

Sharpe stairs ahead and says nothing to Hakeswill. He’s heard Hakeswill criticize him before.

Hakeswill glares at Sharpe then continues to the rear and then turns to return to the front row.

Hughes watches the companies in front move. It is their turn.

“Forward! March!” Hakeswill calls out.

The company drummer began to tap the march beat that they would follow.

As they march away, Tom says to Sharpe,

“Hakeswill is no Hawthorne.”

Sergeant Hawthorne was their company sergeant when they trained in Ireland and had gone with them to the Netherlands. For more than three years, Tom and he have been together in the battalion.

Hakeswill had recruited them to join the army. The new recruits had been sent to train in Ireland. The year after, the grenadier and light companies of their regiment had gone to the East Indies with General Grey while the eight line companies were sent with the Duke of York’s force to the Netherlands.

After marching around the Netherlands, they fought their first battle against the French. On that cold and foggy battlefield a French ball had killed Sergeant Hawthorne. Sharpe and Tom had fought well. Sharpe had helped with their company during a critical moment when the French attacked. Their colonel, Arthur Wesley had noticed. Wesley arranged for Sharpe to be promoted to corporal.

Neither Captain Hughes or Sergeant Hakeswill had been with the battalion then. Sergeant Bickerstaff had led them after the battle until they returned to England.

Sharpe winks at Tom.

“He’s no Sergeant Bickerstaff either.”

Sharpe quickly turns to locate Bickerstaff who marches in the last row of the column.

Back in England, Wesley learned that his Grenadier and Light companies had been destroyed by disease in the West Indies. He chose to rebuild the regiment with new recruits and experienced men. Wesley pulled many of the men, that included Sharpe, from his company to be the core of the new light company. Also, Hakeswill was pulled from recruiting and made the senior sergeant.

Hakeswill ……. crooked neck. Twitch….. subservient to the officers. Bully to the men. Men don’t trust him.

Hakeswill had bullied one of their friends. That friend had farted on parade. Hakeswill wanted him flogged. Sharpe’s friend was not strong enough to be flogged. Sharpe spoke up that he had committed the discretion. Hakeswill wanted Sharpe punished. Since Sharpe was a corporal, Hughes had to consult Wesley to have Sharpe flogged. Wesley did not support to flog him, but agreed to have Sharpe demoted to private.

Hughes had liked what Sharpe had done as a corporal. Third section of the company often had only a senior, experienced soldier to lead it. Hughes gave the section to Sharpe. Sharpe was able to bring Tom and some of his other friends with him.

If they needed to fight, Sharpe trusted that his friends and the other new men would perform. Now they would march. Somewhere to the north, a Dutch fleet waited. Like Tom, Sharpe is happy to be off the ship. They had left England in April and arrived here at Cape Town at the end of June. Colonel Sherbrooke, the second colonel with the battalion, had traveled with them. Because they were to go to India, He would not let them off the ships during stops at Madeira and Saint Helena or when they arrived at Cape Town. Now, the general in charge of Cape Town needed them.

Sharpe had eighteen men in his section. With Tom, he had been allowed to bring eight men who had fought with him in the Netherlands. These eight now marched to his left in the four rows. He had arranged them into rows of five, four, five and four. In his first row, he stood to the right of four. In the third row, he had Tom stand to the right and two rows behind him. In each row, he had two of the men who had served with in the Netherlands and two of the new recruits. The new recruits were all to the left of the men with experience. Sharpe was no longer a corporal, but he had learned in the Netherlands how to move men that were with him and under fire from line to column and back. He knew that he needed to have the experienced men on the right when the rows of men joined the rest of the company.

Sharpe watched the two sections of their company and the companies from the 78th and 80th move in front of them. Behind the other three light companies, the rest of the regiments followed. The 78th marched to the music of their pipes and drums. Sharpe liked music, but had no skills of his own. When they were in battle in the Netherlands, he had the men sing to calm them while the French fired at them. He smiles as he remembers singing Old King Cole. He still doesn’t know who began to sing when he called for singing.

“Shame, Hakeswill doesn’t like us to sing when we march. Maybe he worries that we might be happy.”

The sound of the pipes and the drums sets the pace for the whole column. As they leave Cape Town, what is used as a road, winds north. The ocean is on their left. The weather is cool. Ahead dark clouds threaten some rain.

“Good day to march.”

Sharpe looks again at his section.

“Lads look good. Will have to see how quickly they tire. We were on ship a long time. Now we get to move. Good that it is not very hot or very cold. Won’t loose anyone on this march to frozen toes.”

Sharpe thinks about how he almost lost toes in the Netherlands.

Happy with his four lines of men, he turns ahead again and smiles as he marches.

“Nothing for Sergeant Hakeswill to find fault with us.” he thinks.

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