Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Peninsula War medal awarded to Private Andrew Hussey, 88th Foot, who was wounded in the left leg, right thigh and back of the neck whilst serving as a volunteer in the Forlorn Hope at the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, comprising just 20 men of the 88th led by Lieutenant Mackie

Military General Service 1793-1814, 8 clasps, Fuentes D’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Orthes, Toulouse (A. Hussey, 88th Foot.) minor edge bruising, otherwise good very fine and an extremely rare confirmed ‘Forlorn Hope’ man £6000-8000

Provenance: Gregg Collection 1887, Phillips Collection 1965 and Power-Hynes Collection 1996.

Andrew Hussey was admitted to a late pension on 25 May 1857 (Ref. WO 116/67), then aged 66 years. He was born at Donnybrook, Dublin, and was a Weaver by trade when he enlisted into the 88th Foot in April 1808. He served 7 years 1 month and was discharged on 24 May 1815. He was admitted to a late pension at the rate of 9 pence per diem, in consequence of being ‘wounded left leg and right thigh and back of the neck on Forlorn Hope at Ciudad Rodrigo.’ Hussey latterly lived in Macclesfield, Cheshire, where he died in March 1865, aged 74 years.

The 88th Foot was at the forefront of the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, when Lieutenant William Mackie and twenty men of the 88th led the Forlorn Hope of Picton’s 3rd Division against the main breach. All volunteers, they knew that their chances of survival were slim and all were fully aware of their task: to trigger a volley of gunfire from the French. As reloading a musket or cannon took some 25 seconds or more, it meant that the main attacking force could ‘safely’ charge the breach whilst the defenders were reloading their weapons - having shot down the men of the Forlorn Hope.