James 'Jem' Yards

19 year old Jem Yards is a Trooper in 3 squadron, 15th Hussars. He is written by James.

Early Life
Jem Yards had a humble upbringing, one of 5 children, only two survived pat the age of 5, and he was the only boy to survive. All of his family were in domestic service at Whitehayes Hall, in Hampshire, the seat of the Lyon family. His father was the gamekeeper, his mother a cook, and his sister worked inside the house as a maid. Jem was put to work in the stables, first cleaning them, then learning essential horse care, and eventually basic riding skills from the head groom. Initially awed by the size and presence of horses, Jem came to love these creatures, convinced at times that they were as smart as men, if not smarter on occasion.

His employer, Captain John Lyons, had made his name in the West Indies and now had the wealth to go with it. He also had several pretty daughters. The middle daughter Catherine played with Jem as a child before the rules of the house and conventions of the day separated them. As Catherine grew older, she sought creative pursuits of painting, reading, and riding. She found horses an extension of the verses she read and occasionally remarked to Jem as such. It was an opinion with which he agreed. Around that same time, Catherine began to insist on Jem handling her horse exclusively when she rode, an arrangement that he found most acceptable.

This arrangement irked the eldest Lyon sister who thought Jem beneath contempt and did not hesitate to remind him of his proper place. Jem was all too aware of ‘them that have and them that have not’. Things came to a head when a spooked horse nearly threw the eldest Lyon sister while Jem was holding it. There was commotion in the grand house, and the lady was taken away. A short while later the head groom was summoned, in turn Jem also. Jem was doomed before he spoke. The 'haves' had decided that this particular 'have not' was at fault and thus his employer no longer required his services.

Seen off the premises, he sought the tavern and his next move. His sorrow-drowning at the tavern in the village was interrupted by the arrival of a recruitment party for the cavalry resplendent in their smart colourful uniforms. The decision was instant, he knew horses and would take the King’s Shilling. Secretly, Jem decided that he would win a commission by an act of great valour, and would return to Whitehayes to ask Miss Catherine Lyons for her hand. He asked the Innkeeper to tell his parents of his intentions and hurried out of the door towards an interesting future.

Service Life
Coming from a background of taking orders from those of higher rank, Jem had little trouble integrating into Army life enduring his fair share of shoves and insults, but avoiding much harsher punishments. His horsemanship skills were noted as 'above average'. He has been posted on active service with the 15th Hussars as a replacement and assigned to bring 3 squadron back to strength. His current horse was taken from the French.

On the nineteenth of September, Jem was among those of 3 squadron assigned to protect sappers, elements of 1/2nd Foot Guards, as well as the 5/60th Rifles constructing a semaphore station near Villar del Rey. The following day, members of 3 squadron were on patrol for French forces. By January, the Regiment had retired to winter quarters at Castelo Branco where the men could relax while not occupied.