Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Peninsula War medal awarded to Captain Samuel Morris, 28th Foot, who was severely wounded at the battle of Vittoria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Barrosa, Vittoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (Saml. Morris, Capt. 28th Foot.) carriage a little bent between the first two clasps, otherwise good very fine £2,400-£3,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Gloucestershire Regiment.

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Provenance: Sotheby, November 1979.

Only eight officers of the 28th Foot survived to claim the clasp for Barrosa, where the 1/28th highly distinguished themselves

Samuel Morris was appointed Ensign in the 28th Foot on 31 January 1805; Lieutenant, 2 April 1806; Captain, 25 November 1813. He served in the Peninsula with the 2/28th from July 1809 to July 1810, and with the 1/28th from December 1810 to April 1811, and from July 1811 to April 1814. He was present at the battle of Barrosa, 5 March 1811; the actions of Arroyo dos Molinos, 28 October 1810, and Almaraz, 18-19 May 1812; retreat from Burgos; battle of Vittoria, 21 June 1813, where he was severely wounded; battles of Nivelle, 10 November 1813, and Nive, 9-13 December 1813; action at Garris, 15 February 1814; battle of Orthes, 27 February 1814; the combat at Aire, 2 March 1814; and the battle of Toulouse, 10 April 1814. Captain Morris was placed on half-pay on 25 December 1814, and saw no further active service. He died at Torquay, Devon, on 8 July 1865, aged 79.