Hi all,
I've been looking into contemporary views about the importance of politeness and good manners for British Napoleonic-era officers, and the wisdom of promoting officers from the ranks. This is often discussed in popular histories, but I think could benefit from more detailed analysis.
I'm familiar with Wellington's comments on ranker-officers ('men of different manners altogether') despite the fact that he promoted many himself in the Peninsula, and 30th officer Edward Macready's extended comments in his journals about the problems of integrating ranker-officers. I've also found a few other references to officers e.g. Sir Henry Murray and Charles Crowe criticizing promoted rankers, or officers like Kincaid praising gentility as an aid to discipline. Then there are the famous lines from Rifleman Harris about soldiers preferring gentlemen officers ('men with authority in their face as well as at their back') over plebeian upstarts. Further, I've found a few examples (ahem...Whitelocke) of officers whose bad manners were censured by contemporaries, and reference to a handful of promoted rankers (eg 95th QM Surtees, praised for his 'urbanity of manners') who seem to have adapted to the demands of refined etiquette.
But I'm sure there's more out there, so I figured I'd consult the Napoleon Series hive-mind – does any know of further opinions from Napoleonic-era British officers or common soldiers on the merits of promoted ranker-officers, either pointing to specific examples or speaking generally? Or, whether gentlemen truly made better officers?
Any insight and pointers would be gratefully received.
Many thanks
Eamonn