Free The Lady In Red: An Eighteenth-Century Tale Of Sex, Scandal, And Divorce by Hallie Rubenhold Page B

excursion into the field.
    The excitement and pageantry of Coxheath enthralled camp dwellers and spectators alike. Morton Pitt, a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Dorsetshire Militia wrote to Lord Herbert to describe the marvel of their encampment, sprawled ‘on a ridge of a hill between two beautiful valleys’, on which they exercised ‘every day and in Brigade generally twice a week’. The Duchess of Devonshire, who had joined her husband at Coxheath, also enthused over the spectacle, writing with childlike excitement about waking early to watch the drills and witnessing the Duke’s face ‘smart with gunpowder’. The rows of soldiers in red uniform and a collection of ‘very handsome’ young captains impressed her equally. This exhibition of military might–the fiery blasts of the cannons, the officers galloping on horseback, the parading and bayonet wielding–offered the assembled not only a visual extravaganza but a sense of comfort that Britain was adequately prepared to face the French threat. The scene drew hordes of day trippers to the hills of Kent. Daily, a ‘cavalcade of coaches, chaises, wagons, carts, horses’ and pedestrians which ‘seemed to extend for two miles’ filled the surrounding area. One observer wrote in October that ‘almost all of Sarum [Salisbury] and its neighbourhood sallied forth’ to watch ‘the grand review’ of the troops by Lord Amherst, the commander-in-chief.
    By late summer the country had gone Coxheath mad. The newspapers began ‘camp intelligence’ columns allowing their readers to keep abreast of developments and gossip. A novel entitled Coxheath Camp appeared at booksellers’ stands and on the 15th of October Sheridan premiered his new play The Camp at Drury Lane; an unmitigated success, it ran for fifty-seven performances.
    Beyond its obvious draw, what made Coxheath such a source of fascination was the congregation of fashionable society, who had so publicly struck camp there. The fields had become a temporary home for the ton and a showcase for their lifestyle. The Duchess of Devonshire, Lady Clermont, Lady Melbourne, Lady Jersey and Mrs Crewe were only a handful of the glamorous women who could be seen striding across the parade grounds. While not a part of the inner circle, Lady Worsley was included in their socialising. The Duchess of Devonshire, her brother Lord George Spencer, Lady Cranbourne and the notorious libertine Lord Cholmondeley were among those who called on her at Sir Richard’s tent, which the Duchess described as being ‘a very fine one’. With its round of social calls and parties, life continued much as it would have in London or Bath but against an entirely novel backdrop. Whereas women like Lady Cranbourne would have otherwise hosted suppers and card games at her town house, at Coxheath she ‘opened her tents to whist and cribbage’ instead. Prior to the summer of 1778 it had been virtually unknown for officers’ wives to be present in the field or to involve themselves actively in the affairs of camp life. However, for many this was an opportunity to fly the banner of patriotism. The Duchess of Devonshire and Lady George Sutton (whose spouse headed the Nottinghamshire Militia) invented a female version of their husbands’ militia uniforms, adapting the regimental coat into a modish riding habit with a trim, practical skirt. The other wives immediately followed suit and by July the Morning Post was reporting that ‘Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire appears every day at the head of the beauteous Amazons on Coxheath, who are all dressed en militaire ; in the regimentals that distinguish the several regiments in which their Lords, etc. serve, and charms every beholder with their beauty and affability.’ Not to be outdone, Lady Worsley marched beside them, sporting the red coat and dark blue lapels trimmed with silver frogging that identified the South Hampshire Militia.
    Among the coachloads of spectators who visited Coxheath in 1778 was