Sir, – In challenging my letter on the use of "decimation", Martin Ahearne (October 16th) writes that the execution by the Earl of Essex of one in 10 of his men "simply did not happen".
May I put the record straight?
I quote from 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by Prof James S Shapiro: "Essex dealt harshly with the defeat at Wicklow. He held a court martial on 11 July after which Lieutenant Walsh was executed for cowardice. Other officers were cashiered and imprisoned. Every soldier who had fought in that battle was 'then condemned to die', then 'most of them pardoned and for example's sake every tenth man only executed'. Decimation wasn't English military practice. Essex had come across the idea in a scholarly footnote in the 1598 translation of Tacitus. It may have kept other troops from deserting, but it was poorly received at home. John Chamberlain writes that 'My lord's decimating of Sir Harry Harrington's companies is much descanted of, and not greatly liked here.'"
It is irrefutable that the Earl of Essex literally decimated his own troops, and inadvertently provided a strong argument against studying Classics. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Cnoc an Stollaire,
Gaoth Dobhair,
Co Dhún na nGall.