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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 (!%' , ti^ '» • J.'} :\^' U-**. -W^tijiit* V'- jtOaMmt^^^.tm*''' \li il V ^ ^,|«M»Ww,u J* /' '4 ' ... # ^i # e ^. * r /7 X s ^iX 'r^ '^ \ \\ i/«'i4;i<< V .O' Cr^ ^^^^P^^^^^{f^^^ ). ^ ^^jOCy^XC \ N X "X H--"".;, ^r-VlS^'' .****fir*j. i4 /^V^av^::- V.W\ GENERAL ORDERS. ■ HORSE-GUAUDS, :>* l«r January. 1836. His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing the fullest justice to Regi- ments, as well as to Individuals who have dis- tinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be pub- lished under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General ; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz.: — The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of the Regiment ; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed ; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achieve- ment it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enemy. The Names of the Officers, and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the place and Date of the Action. a u GENERAL ORDERS. The Names of those Officers who, in con- sideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour. The Names of all such Officers, Non-Com- missioned Officers, and Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action. And, The Badges and Devices which the Regi- ment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted. By Command of the Right Honorable GENERAL LORD HILL, Commandin^-in- Chief. John Macdonald, Ad^tUant- General. Ill ) P R E F A C E. The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted. Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable object than a full display c^ the noble deeds with which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus 'to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded h* n in their honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication. The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the " London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute a 2 It PREPACK. [i of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Com- manders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery ; and these testimonials, conjfirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes. ' It has not, however, until late years, been the prac- tice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtain- ing, particularly from the old Regiments, an au- thentic account of their origin and subsequent services. This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been pleased to command that every Regiment shall, in future, keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad. From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns, of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so PREFACE. vations, and sickness, defeated, at Agincourtj the Constable of France, at the head of the flower of the French nobility and an army said to amount to 60,000 men, and gained a complete victory. During the seventy years' war between the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish mo- narchy, which commenced in 1578 and terminated in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the States-General were celebrated for their uncon- querable spirit and firmness;* and in the thirty years* war between the Protestant Princes and the Emperor of Germany, the British Troops in the ser- vice of Sweden and other states were celebrated for deeds of heroism, j" In the wars of Queen Anne, the fame of the British array under the great Marlborouoh was spread throughout the world; and if we glance at the achievements performed within the memory of persons now living, there is abundant proof that the Britons of the present age are not inferior to their ancestors in the qualities * The brave Sir Roger Williams, in his Discourse on War, printed in 1590, observes: — '* I persuade myself ten thousand of our nation would beat thirty thousand of theirs (the Spaniards) out of the field, let them be chosen where they list." Yet at this time the Spanisli infantry was allowed to be the best disciplined in Europe. For instances of valour displayed by the British Infantry during the Seventy Years' War, see the Historical Record of the Third Foot, or Butts. t Vide the Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot. TO THE INFANTRY. XVII which constitute good soldiers. Witness the deeds of the brave men, of whom there are many now surviving, who fought in Egypt in 1801, under the brave Abercromby, and compelled the French army, which had been vainly styled Invincible^ to eva- cuate that country ; also the services of the gallant Troops during the arduous campaigns in the Penin- sula, under the immortal Wellinoton; and the determined stand made by the British Army at Waterloo, where Napoleon Bonaparte, who had long been the inveterate enemy of Great Britain, and had sought and planned her destruction by every means he could devise, was compelled to leave his vanquished legions to their fate, and to place himself at the disposal of the British Govern- ment These achievements, with others of recent dates in the distant climes of India, prove that the same valour and constancy which flowed in the breasts of the heroes of Crecy, Poictiers, Agincourt, Blenheim, and Ramilies, continue to animate the Britons of the nineteenth century. The British Soldier is distinguished for a robust and muscular frame, — intrepidity which no danger can appal, — ^unconquerable spirit and resolution, — patience in fatigue and privation, and cheerful obe- dience to his superiors. These qualities, — ^united with an excellent system of order and discipline to regu- late and give a skilful direction to the energies and adventurous spirit of the hero, and a wise selection of officers of superior talent to command, whose presence inspires confidence, — have been the leading causes of the splendid victories gained by the British b M 11 XVlll INTRODUCTION arms.* The fame of the deeds of the past and present generations in the various battle-fields where the robust sons of Albion have fought and conquered, surrounds the British arms with a halo of glory; these achievements will live in the page of history to the end of time. The records of the several regiments will be found to contain a detail of facts of an interesting character, connected with the hardships, sufferings, and gallant exploits of British soldiers in the various parts of the world, where the calls of their Country and the com- mands of their Sovereign have required them to proceed in the execution of their duty, whether in »> <* Under the blessing of Divine Providence, His Majesty ascribes the successes which have attended the exertions of his troops in Egypt to that determined bravery which is inherent in Britons ; but Plis Miyesty desires it may be most solemnly and forcibly impressed on the consideration of every part of the army, that it has been a strict observance of order, discipline, and military system, which has given the full energy to the native valour of the troops, and has enabled them proudly tc assert the superiority of the national military character, in situations uncommonly arduous, and under circumstances of peculiar difficulty." — General Orders in 1801. In the General Orders issued by Lieut-General Sir John Hope(after- Mards Lord liopetoun), congratulating the army upon the successful result of the Battle of Corunna, on the 16th of January, 1809, it is stated : — '* On no occasion has the undaunted valour of British troops ever been more manifest. At the termination of a severe and harassing march, ren- dered necessary by the superiority which the enemy had acquired, and which had materially impaired the efficiency of the troops, many disad- vantages were to bo encountered. These have all been surmounted by the conduct of the troops themselves ; and the enemy has been taught, that, whatever advantages of position or of numbers he may possess, there if inherent in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not how to yield, — that no circumstances can appal, — and that will ensure victory, when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any human means." TO THE INFANTRY. UX active continental operations, or in maintaining colo- nial territories in distant and unfavourable climes. The superiority of the British infantry has been pre-eminently set forth in the wars of six centuries, and admitted by the greatest commanders which £urope has produced. The formations and move- ments of this arme, as at present practised, while they are adapted to every species of warfare, and to all probable situations and circumstances of service, are well suitf.d to show forth the brilliancy of military tactics calculated upon mathematical and scientific principles. Although the movements and evolutions have been copied from the continental armies, yet various improvements have from time to time been introduced, to ensure that simplicity and celerity by which the superiority of the national military cha- racter is maintained. The rank and influence which Great Britain has attained among the nations of the world have in a great measure been purchased by the valour of the Army, and to persons who have the welfare of their country at heart the records of the several regiments cannot fail to prove interesting. lan means. b 2 ;; THE THIRTY-FIRST, THE HUNTINGDONSHIEE REGIMENT OF FOO "^ / ill ;, ! i il Ul i' !i LONDON : PRINTED BY W. CI.OWKi ANI> l»»NS HTAMFOttI) 8THKKT, FOR HER MAJE8r»'ll HTATIONKItV 01 FME. HISTORICAL RECORD OP THE THIRTY-FIRST, OB. IT HE HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT; CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT IN 1702, AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1850: TO WHICH IS APPENDED, An ACCOUNT of the SERVICES of the ISARIME COBFS, from 1664 to 1748; The Thirtieth, Thirty-first, and Thirty-second Regiments having been foimed in 1702 as Marine Corps, and retained from 1714 on the Establishment of the Army as Regiments of Regular Infantry. COMPILED BY RICHARD CANNON, Esq. ADJUTANT general's OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS. ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES. LONDON : PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER, 30, CHARING CROSS. 1850. THl THE THIRTY-FIRST OB, THE HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT, BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR AND APPOINTMENTS THE WORDS " TALAVERA," " ALBUHERA," " VITTORIA," "PYRENEES," "NIVELLE," "NIVE," "ORTHES," AND "PENINSULA." IN COMMEMORATION OF THE SERVICES OF THE SECOND BATTALION DURING THE " PENINSULAR WAR," FROM 1809 TO ]814. ALSO THE WORD "CABOOL, 1842," FOR THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT OF THE REGIMENT DURING THE SECOND CAMPAIGN IN AFFGHANI8TAN IN THE YEAR 1 842 J AND THE WORDS " MOODKEE," "FEROZESHAH," « ALIWAL," AND "SOBRAON," IN TESTIMONY OF ITS GALLANTRY IN THOSE BATTLES DURING THE CAMPAIGN ON THE BANKS OF THE SUTLEJ, FROM DECEMBER 1845, TO FEBRUARY 1846. THE THIRTY-FIRST, OBf THE HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. CONTENTS OF THE HISTORICAL RECORD. Year 1701 Introduction 1702 Decease of King William III., and accession of Her Majesty Queen Anne. . . . Certain Regiments of Marines raised Formation of the Thikty-fikst as a Regiment of Marines ...... Colonel George Villiers appointed Colonel of the Regiment ...... Names of the Officers ..... War of the Spanish Succession The Earl of Marlborough appointed to the command of the troops in Flanders Expedition to the coast of Spain under the Duke ofOrmond The TniRTr-FiRST and other regiments em- barked for Cadiz ..... Capture of the combined French and Spanish fleets at Vigo ... ... The troops under the Duke ofOrmond returned to England 1 xxviii CONTENTS. Year Page I i 1703 The Thirtt-first Regiment stationed at Plymouth ...... — — « Decease of Colonel Villiers .... Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Lutterell appointed Colonel of the Regiment .... 1704 Services of the Thirty-first Regiment on board the fleet under Admiral Sir George Rooke. .... Unsuccessful attempt on Barcelona ' Capture of Gibraltar . The Spanish, and French armaments defeated in their attempts to retake Gibraltar 1705 Operations against Barcelona Capture of Fort Montjuich . The Prince of Hesse Darmstadt killed Surrender of the Garrison of Barcelona 1706 Decease of Colonel Lutterell Lieut.-Colonel Josiah Churchill appointed Colonel of the Regiment Barcelona besieged by the French Barcelona relieved by the English and Dutch fleet The allied fleet proceeded to the coast of Valencia .... Capture of Carthagena and Alicant Surrender of Ivi^a and Majorca 1707 Attack upon Toulon . The siege of Toulon raised . 1708 Capture of ASarrfima . Minorca . 1709 Capture of Port Royal, in Nova Scotia The Fortress named Anna-polis Royal, in honor of Queen Anne Alicant recovered by the enemy 1710 The Isle of Cette taken by the Bridsh, and afterwards recaptured by the French . 8 9 10 11 12 13 CONTENTS. XXIX Year 1711 Retirement of Colonel Churchill Lieut.-Colonel Sir Harry Goring, Bart., pro- moted Colonel of the Regiment . Charles III., the claimant to the Spanish throne, elected Emperor of Germany, and its effect upon the war .... 1712 Negociations for Peace 1713 Treaty of Utrecht Reductions in the Army and Navy . 1714 Decease of Queen Anne Accession of King George I. Augmentation of the Army, to counteract the designs of the Pretender .... The Thirtieth, Thirty-first, and Thirty- second Regiments, which had been ordered to be disbanded, retained on the establishment, and incorporated with the regiments of the line Authorized to take rank in the Army from the date of original formation in 1702 1715 Disaffection of the Earl of Mar . Rebellion in Scotland in favor of the Pretender ■ Battle op Sheriffmuir . Surrender of the Rebels at Preston , Arrival in Scotland of the Pretender 1716 His flight to France .... Suppression of the Rebellion . The Thirty-first embarked for Ireland ■ Retirement of Colonel Sir Harry Goring Lord John Kerr appointed Colonel of Regiment ..... 1727 Decease of King George I. . Accession of King George II. 1728 Decease of Major-General Lord John Kerr Colonel the Honorable Charles Cathcart pointed Colonel of the Regiment Page 14 the ap 15 16 17 18 I: ilil XXX Year CONTENTS. 1731 Colonel the Honorable Charles Cathcart removed to the Eighth Dragoons .... Colonel William Hargrave appointed Colonel of the THiRxr-FiRST Regiment 1737 Colonel Hargrave removed to the Ninth Re giment ...... Colonel William Handasyd appointed Colonel of the Thirty-first Regiment 1739 Removal of the Regiment from Ireland to Great Britain . . . . Spanish depredations in America . War declared against Spain 1740 fVar of the Austrian Succession . 1741 The Regiment encamped at Windsor and on Lexden Heath .... 1742 Embarked for Flanders as Auxiliaries . 1743 Marched towards the Rhine . Battle of Dettingen The Battle compared with other victories 1744 Declaration of War against France 1745 Decease of Colonel Handasyd Colonel Lord Henry Beauclerk appointed Colonel of the Regiment . Investment of Toumay by Marshal Saxe Battle of Fontenov Surrender of Tournay to the French Skirmish at La MMe, near Ghent ■-- Rebellion in Scotland, headed by Prince Charles Edward. ..... Return of the Thirty-first and other Reg ments to England .... The Regiment stationed in the vicinity of London ...... 1746 Battle OF CuLLODEN . . . Escape of Prince Charles Edward to France Page 18 19 ! 21 .1 V 22 ^ 23 J 24 '1 25 m 26 27 28 29 CONTENTS. XXXI 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Yeu 1747 Battle OF Laffeld, ov ^"al . . . 1748 Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle . . . . 1749 Retirement of Colonel Lord Henry Beauclerk. Colonel Henry Holmes appointed Colonel of the Regiment ...... The Regiment embarked for Minorca 1751 Regulations prescribed by Royal Warrant for establishing uniformity in the clothing, standards, and colours of regiments, &c. 1752 The Regiment returned from Minorca to England . . . . - 1755 Proceeded to Scotland . 1756 The Seven Years' War War declared against France Capture of Minorca by the French Augmentations in the Army and Navy . The Second Battalion of the Thirty-first con stituted the Seventieth Regiment 1759 Summary of the occurrences of the War . 1762 War declared against Spain . Capture of Martinique, Grenada, St. Vincent, and other West India Islands, by the Britisli Peace of Fontainebleau .... The Regiment removed from Scotland to England Decease of Lieut.-General Holmes Colonel James Adolphus Oughton appointed Colonel of the Regiment . 1765 The Regiment embarked for Florida Suffered severely from yellow fever 1772 Embarked for St. Vincent . Engaged in reducing tlie Caribs 1774 Termination of the Carib War The Regiment returned to England 1775 Stationed in North Britain . I'nge 29 30 30 30 31 32 33 34 35 ' 11 XXXll Year CONTENTS. 1775 War of American Independence . 1776 Tlie Regiment embarked for Canada with the Troops under Major-General Burgoyne . . Defence of Quebec against the American Army Defence of the British Post at Trois Riviires . > Declaration of Independence by the American Congress ...... Operations on Lake Champlain 1777 The flank companies of the Thikty-first and other regiments proceed on an expedition under Major-General Burgoyne . . . Capture of Ticonderago .... Action at Skenesborough .... Action near Castleton . . ... Pursuit of the Auiericans to Fort Anne and Fort Edward ■■ ■— Action at Stillwater ..... — — Lieut.-General Burgoyne is compelled to capitu- late to General Gates .... ■ Convention of Saratoga .... 1778 Aid rendered by France to the Americans 1780 Dece) sr^ of Lieut.-General Sir James Oughton . Major- Gen^iral Thomas Clarke appointed Colonel of the Regiment .... 1781 The battalion companies, which remained in Canada, joined by ihe flank companies. The light company engaged in effecting the destruction of military stores at Ticonderago . 1782 The Independence of tlie United States ac- knowledged by King George III. The Thirty-first styled the Huntingdon- shire Regiment ..... 1783 Treaty of Peace between England, France, and Spain ....... Peace concluded with Holland Fkf« 85 3d 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 CON'i 46 47 48 49 50 .I'J ! I'l I ; I i f XXXIV CONTENTS. YMr 1796 1797 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 Disemlmrked at GoHport Embarked for St. Lucia Engaged in tlie capture of that Island Employed against the CaribH in St. Lucia Returned to England .... Augmented by volunteers from the Militia Embarked for Holland, as part of the Army under the Duke of York . Engaged in the Action at Alkmaar Attack on the French position between Bergen and Egmont-op-Zee , Occupation of Alkmaar by the British Troops Action near Alkmaar .... Withdrawal of tlie British Troops from Holland The Regiment arrived in England. Embarked for Ireland .... Expedition to the coast of France under Brigadier the Honorable Sir Thomas Maitland ...... Joined the expedition under Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney destined for the coast of Spain Landed at Ferrol ..... Sailed to Vigo ...... Proceeded to Cadiz ..... Embarked for Gibraltar .... Expedition to Egypt ..... Tlie Thirty-first proceeded to Lisbon, and subsequently to Minorca .... Deliverance of Egypt from the French Troops. Peace of Amiens ..... Tlie Regiment embarked at Minorca for England Removed to Jersey ..... Gallant conduct of a Private Soldier of the Thirty-first Regiment .... 51 63 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 : CONTENT*. XXXV 51 ■ >»"' 52 B 63 ^m '^^'^ 54 Ib 53 fl y 9 1805 56 ^B *i a 1806 58 -S 59 1 *^^^ i 60 ■ '~ [• ■ 1808 i — 1 1810 ^m 1811 61 62 1812 1813 1814 Renewal of the War with Franco . PreparationH fur the defence of Kngland from the menace of Frencli Invasion . A second hattuUon added to the liegiment The Regiment embarked for England War declared by Spain against Great Britain The second battalion proceeded from Chester, and joined the first battalion at Winchester Employed on the occasion of the Funeral o Admiral Viscount Nelson. They?r«< battalion embarked for Sicily . Proceeded on the Expedition to Egypt under Mtyor- General Eraser Attacked by the Turks at Rosetta . Egypt evacuated by the British Return of the troops to Sicily Thejirst battalion embarked for Malta . Returned to Sicily .... Proceeded to Malta .... Returned to Sicily .... The grenadier company embarked for the east coast of Spain ..... Returned to Sicily .... T)aq first battalion proceeded on an expedition to Italy. ..... Disembarked at Leghorn Actions at Sestri and Recco , Action at La Sturla, on the heights of Albaro Gallantry of the first battalion Occupation of Genoa .... Th.B first battalion embarked for Corsica Returned to Sicily .... Treaty of Peace with France Tlie second battalion disbanded Honorary Distinctions acquired by the Regiment 68 64 65 6() 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 XXXVl CONTENTS, Year 1815 Return of Napoleon Bonaparte to France, and Renewal of the War The Regiment embarked for Naples Battle op Waterloo Termination of the War The Regiment embarked for Genoa 1816 Embarked for Malta . 1818 Returned to England . 1819 Disturbed state of the Manufacturing Districts The Thanks of the Sovereign and of the Magis trates conveyed to the Thirty-fibst and other Corps employed at Manchester 1821 The Regiment embarked for Ireland 1824 Returned to England . 1825 Embarked for Calcutta Destruction of the ^^ Kent " East Tiidiaman) by fire in the Bay of Biscay . Gallant conduct of the right wing, embarked in the ^^Kent" during the conflagration Names of the Officers, and the number of the men, women, and children, saved by the ships " Cambria " and " Caroline " . Letter from the Adjutant-General to Lieut. Colonel Fearon, commanding the Thibty FIRST, expressive of the Commander-in-Chiefs approbation of the courage and discipline displayed by the right wing of the regiment during the burning of the " Kent " Further particulars relating to this calamity Part of the right wing re-embarked for India Joined the left tmng at Berhampore 1826 Another detachment embarked for India. The Regiment marched to Meerut , Presentation of New Colours to the Regiment by Lady Amherst .... Page 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 88 89 92 93 94 95 CONTENTS. XXXVll 1831 Marched to Kurna ..... Decease of General the Earl of Mulgrave General Sir Henry Warde, G.C.B, appointed . Colonel of the Regiment .... Interview between the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, and Bwijeet Singh, the Sovereign of the Punjaub The Regiment formed part of the Governor General's Escort .... • Detail of the Proceedings on the Sutlej . — — The Regiment returned to Kurnaul 1834 Decease of General Sir Henry Warde , Lieut.-General Sir Edward Barnes, G.C.B., appointed Colonel of the Regiment 1836 The Regiment marched to Dinapore 1838 Decease of General Sir Edward Barnes . Lieut.-General Sir Colin Halkett, K.C.B appointed Colonel of the Regiment The Regiment marched to Ghazeepore . 1840 Marched to Agra .... 1841 Insurrection at Cabool 1842 The Regiment marched to Peshawur to join the army under Major-General Pollock, destined to proceed to Cabool — - Arrival of the army at Jellalabad . The Regiment marched to Peshbolak to attack the Shinwarees .... Action at Mazeena .... Passage of the Jugdulluck Pass . Action at Tezeen .... Advance on Cabool Occupation of the Bala Hissar Release of the Officers, Ladies, and Soldiers taken prisoners by the Affghans, at the com mencement of the insurrection . Pag* 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 107 109 110 112 113 m i lit,. ill H 4. \ ' . 'I! Ill I ill !,: Wr Mi: I xxxvm Year CONTENTS. 1842 Return of the Army to India Action at the Jugdulltick Pass Skirmishes in the Passes between Tezeen and Gundamuck ...... Arrival of the troops at Jellalabad . Marched to Peshawur ..... Honors rendered to the troops on arrival at Ferozepore ...... Authorized to bear the word " Cabool, 1842," on the Regimental Colour and Appointments The Regiment marched to Umballa Expedition to Khytul ..... ' Outbreak at Lahore ..... 1843 The Regiment marched to Ferozepore . 1844 Returned to Umballa ..... 1845 Disturbed state of the Punjaub Sikh invasion of the British Territories in India The Regiment marched from Umballa to join the Ferozepore Field force Battle of Moodkee .... Ferozeshah .... 1846 The Regiment marched towards Loodi;.na with the troops under Major-General Sir Henry Smith ....... The Fort of Dhurrumkote captured from the oiRns . . ... . . Action at Suddiwal ..... ' Battle op Auwal ..... Return of the troops under Major-General Sir Henry Smith to the head quarters of the Army ....... Battle of Sobraon ..... — — Advance of the Army on Laliore . Occiipation of the City .... Page 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 126 136 137 138 145 156 158 CONTENTS. XXXIX Ha 118 )in . 119 • 120 . 126 th ^ • 136 he • 137 Year I'«ge 1846 Orders received for the Regiment to return to Europe. ...... 159 Embarked for Calcutta . . . .163 Review of the Punjaub Campaign . . . 1 65 Honors conferred on the " Army of the Sutlej " 167 General Lord Gough's farewell order to the Regiment , . . . .172 Embarked for England . . . .174 Reception on arrival . . . . .175 Letter to Lieut.-Colonel Spence, from General Sir Colin Halkett, reviewing tlie services of the Regiment, . . . . .177 Stationed at Walmer . . . . .182 1847 Autliorized to bear on the Regimental Colour and Appointments the words " Moodkee," " Fekozeshau," " Aliwal," and " So- braon" . . . . . .183 General Sir Colin Halkett G.C.B., removed to the Forty-fifth Regiment .... ■ Lieut.-General the Honorable Henry Otway Trevor appointed Colonel of the Thiuty- piRST Regiment . . . . . — The Regiment removed to Manchester . . 1848 Embarked for Ireland ..... Presentation of New Colours by Major-General His Royal Highness the Prince George of Cambridge .... .184 1849 Stationed at Athlone 186 1850 Removed to Dublin ..... — - Presentation of a Testimonial to Lieut.-Colonel Spence on his retirement .... Conclusion ...... II CONTENTS m It' 11 lip:^ ii^p': Of THE HISTORICAL RECORD or THE SECOND BATTALION or THE THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT- Page 187 Yeu 1804 Projected French Invailon of England . 1806 Formation of the Second Battalion of the THiBTY-riRST Regiment at Chester Marched from Chester to Winchester 1806 Proceeded to Goiport . 1807 Embarked for Guernsey Proceeded to Ireland . 1808 Joined the force assembled at Falmouth under tlie command of Lieut.- General Sir David Baird ,...••• Sailed for Portugal . . • • Marcheil to reinforce the army in Spain under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore . 1809 The intended advance countermanded Battle or Cobuhwa Arrival of Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley at Lisbon, and his appointment to the com- mand of the army in the Peninsula The tecond battalion of the Thirty-first marched towards Oporto . . . • Passage of the Dovro . . . • • 188 189 190 191 CONTENTS. xU Year Pig* 1809 Arrived at Oropesa 191 BATTiiE OF Talavera .... 192 Authorized to bear tiie word "Talavera" on tlie Regimental Colour and Appointments 193 Stationed at Abrantes . • . . .194 1810 Marched to Portalegre — • Encamped between the Estrella and the Tagus. 195 Battle of Busaco .... Marched on Thomar .... Skirmishes near Alhandra . . . .196 1811 Pursuit of Marshal Massena . Siege of Olivenza and Badajoz Battle of Albuhera . . . .197 Authorized to bear the word " Albuhera " on the Regimental Colour and Appointments . 199 Second siege of Badajoz Affair at Arroyo dos Molinos . . . 200 Stationed at Merida .... 1812 Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo . Third siege of Badajoz Capture of Badajoz . . . . .201 Attack on the French works at Almaraz Operations against General Drouet . . 202 Siege of the Castle of Burgos . . . 203 Lieut.-6eneral Sir Rowland Hill's division, of which the second battalion of the Thirty- first formed part, cantoned at Coria and Placentia . . .... 204 1813 Advance upon Burgos and Vittoria . . Battle of Vittoria .... Authorized to bear the word " Vittoria " on the Regimental Colour and Appointments . 205 Siege of Fampeluna ..... 206 The French dislodged from the valley of Bastan Action in the Pass of Roncesvalles . , (fili. i ; ! m xlii Yeu CONTENTS. 1818 Engaged on the heights at Pampeluna . Authorized to bear the word "Pkbenees" on the Regimental Colour and Appointments —— y Capture of a French convoy at Elizondo Capture of St. Seoastian and Pampeluna March of the Allied Army to the French side of the Pyrenees Engaged in the Pass rf riaya Passage of the iWwWc. Authorized to bear the word "NiVELLE"on the Regimental Colour and Appointments Passage of the Nive . ■ Action at St. Pierre, near Bayonne ■ Authorized to bear the word " Nive " on the Regimental Colour and Appointments 1814 Action on the heights of Garris . Battle of Okthes . Authorized to bear the word " Okthes " Regimental Colour and Appointments Action at Aire .... Battle of Toulouse ■ Sortie from Bayonne . Termination of the Peninsular War The second battalion of the Tuiktv-fikst Regi ment marched to Bourdeaux Embarked for Ireland . Authorized to bear tlie word " Peninsula " on the Regimental Colour and Appointments Proceeded to Portsmouth . Disbanded ..... on the Vme 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 CONTENTS. xliii SUCCESSION OF COLONELS OP THE THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT. 1702 George Villiers 1703 Alexander Lutterell 1706 Josiah Churchill . 1711 Sir Harry Goring, Bart. . 1716 Lord John Kerr 1728 The Honorable Charles Cathcart 1731 William Hargrave . 1737 William Handasyd . 1745 Lord Henry Beauderk . 1749 Henry Holmes 1762 Sir James Adolphus Oughton . 1780 Thomas Clarke 1792 James Stuart .... 1793 Henry, Earl of Mulgrave, G.C.B. 1831 Sir Henry Warde, G.C.B. 1834 Sir Edward Barnes, G.C.B. . 1838 Sir Colin Halkett, G.C.B. 1847 Honorable Henry Otway Trevor, C.B. Page 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 xliv CONTENTS. APPENDIX. Ftft Lilt of Battles, Sieges, &c., in Germany and the Netherlands, from 1743 to 1748, during the ** War of the Atutrian Succession " . 223 List of British Regiments which served in Flanders and Germany, between the years 1742 and 1748, during the " fVar of the Austrian Succession" 224 Memoir of the services of Colonel Bolton, C.B. . 225 Memoir of the services of Lieut.-Colonel Skinner, C.B. 226 Memoir of the services of Major Baldwin . . . 230 PLATES. Present Colours of the Regiment to face page Wreck of the Kent East India Ship Battle of Ferozeshah ...... Battle of Sobraon Monument erected in Canterbury Cathedral, to the memory of the Officers and Soldiers of the Thirty-first Regiment, who were killed during the campaign on the banks of the Sutlej from December 1845 to February 1846 1 80 128 152 214 Pia* 223 224 225 226 230 1 80 128 152 214 I If !'. ■ ■ » TMIIIRTY IFIRST mElillMK NT . (QiuEEPTS 'r:(DJL©iiriR i ]R]E(&1IMEWTA1 €(I])L(Q)IUIR<, FOR CANNONS MILITARY RECORDS . HISTORICAL RECORD or THE THIRTY FIRST. OR THE HUNTINGDONSHIRE. REGIMENT OF FOOT. In the commencement of the eighteenth century, 1701 the British Monarch, King William III., found that the conditions of the Treaty of Ryswick, concluded in 1697, were violated by the King of France, Louis XIV., who, on the decease of Charles II. of Spain on the 1st of November, 1700, pursued with unremitting assiduity his ambitious project of ultimately uniting the crowns of France and Spain, by procuring the accession of his grandson, Philip, Duke of Anjou, to the vacant throne ; thus excluding the claims of the House of Austria, and disregarding the existing trea- ties between the principal nations of Europe. The seizure of the Spanish Netherlands by the troops of France, — the detention of the Dutch garrisons in the barrier towns, — the declaration of Louis XIV. in favour of the family of James II., and other acts of hostility, justified the British Government in making preparations for war. King William had determined on active measures, by sea and land, against the powers of France and S HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1701 S{)ain, and had accordingly directed augmentations to be made in the navy and army. A division of the army had been appointed, under the command of Brigadier- General Ingoldsby, (Twenty-third regiment,) to embark for Flanders, and another portion of the army was selected to embark for the coast of 8])ain, under the orders of the Duke of Ormond. 1702 The death of King William III. took place on the 8th of March, 1 702. His policy was adopted by his suc- cessor Queen Anne, who entered into treaties of alliance with the Emperor of Germany, — the States-General of the United Provinces, — and other Princes and Poten- tates, for preserving the liberty and balance of power in Europe, and for defeating the ambitious views of France. The measures for increasing the efficiency of the fleet had occasioned the suggestion of raising Corjys of Marines, capable of acting on land as well as at sea. Several regiments of the regular army were ap- pointed to serve as Marines, and six additional regi- ments were especially raised for that service.* On the 14th of March, 1702, a Royal Warrant was issued, authorising Colonel George Villiers to raise a Regiment of Marines, which was to consist of twelve companies, of two Serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and fifty-nine private soldiers each, with an additional serjeant to the grenadier company. '•■:{ I * Colonel Thomas Saunderson's Marine Corps, now 30th Regiment. Colonel George Villicrs's . . do. now 31st do. Colonel Edwii ' Fox's . . do. now 32nd do. Colonel Han Mordaunt's . do. disbanded in 1713. Colonel Hen Holl's . . do. do. do. Colonel Viscount Shannon's . do. do. do. OH IIUNT1NODON8IIIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 3 Tho rendezvous of the regiment was appointed to be 170S at Taunton and Bridgowatcr. For tho raising of this rogimunt the following officers received commissions, those of the field officers being antedated to tho 12th of Fcbruaiy, 1702:— Captains. George VlUicrs (Colonel). Alexander Luttercll {Lt.- Colonel). Thomaa Carcw {Major). Francis Blinman. George Blakeney. Captain Lieutenant John Deveroux. First Lieutenants Second Lieutenant Chiburgeon . . Saloman Balmier. Roger Flower. William Bisset. James Church. Chirurqeon's mate . William Church. The declaration of hostilities against France and Spain was issued on the 4th of May, 1702 : thus began, " fruitful in great actions and important results/' The War of the Spanish Succession. Additional forces were sent to Flanders, and the Earl of Marlborough was appointed to command the confederate troops with the rank of Captain-General. The expedition, which had been planned by King William against Spain, was carried out by the Minis- ters of Queen Anno It was arranged, accordingly, that a combined fleet of English and Dutch ships, consisting of fifty sail of the line, besides frigates, under Admiral Sir George Hooke, and a land force amounting to nearly fourteen thousand men, under the command of the Duke of Ormond, should proceed b2 if is;;; i't li " 'i; 1 1 4 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THK THIRTY-FIRST, 1702 to the coast of Spain. The following corps were employed on this service, namely : — Lloyd's Dragoons, now 3rd Light Dragoons (detachment) Foot Guards, the Grenadier and Coldstream . Sir H. Bellasis's . . now 2nd Foot . Churchill's Seymour's . . Columbine's O'Hara's, 3 companies Erie's Gustavus Hamilton's . Villiers's Marines, 6 Companies Fox's Marines Donegal's . . Charlemont's . Shannon's Marines 3rd 4th 6th „ • 7th Royal Fusiliers 19th Foot . 20th Slit 82nd 36th 36th OfflMTt tnd Men. 275 755 834 834 834 724 313 724 724 520 834 724 724 834 Dutch Regiments commanded by Mcgor«General Baron \ Sparre and Brigadier Pallandt . . . / 9653 3924 13,577 Colonel Villiers's Corps of Marines, now the thfrty- FiRST regiment, soon after its formation was thus called upon to supply five Companies for embark- ation for active service on board the fleet destined against Spain: these Companies embarked in the latter part of May from Plymouth, and proceeded to join the fleet at Portsmouth, from whence the expedi- tion sailed to Cadiz in the month of July, 1702. The armament appeared off Cadiz on the 12th of August, and the Duke summoned the place ; but his terms being refused, he landed on the 1 5th at the Bay of Bulls, between Rota and Fort St. Catherine^ under great disadvantages and a well conducted opposition : he marched upon Rota, where the horses and stores were disembarked, and in two days afterwards he ad- ,.K1I OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 5 vanced to the town of St. Mary. Rota was retaken 1702 by a coup-de-mainy and the British garrison of 300 men was captured. The attempt on Cadiz failed ; the troops were re -embarked, and sailed from Cadiz on the 30th of September. In alluding to this expedition, Bishop Burnet re- marks, — " It is certain our Court had false accounts of " the state the place was in, both with relation to the " garrison, and to the fortifications ; the garrison was " much stronger, and the fortifications were in a better " state, than was represented." Conspicuous as the bravery of the troops had been in the expedition against Cadiz, still the failure of the attempt naturally caused painful feelings to arise among the British soldiers, who were disappointed of reaping the well-earned fame of a successful enterprise, when victory appeared almost within their grasp. The receipt of information of the arrival of a Spanish fleet from the West Indies, under a French convoy, at the harbour of Vigo, speedily dissipated these feelings, and gave renewed hopes to the troops. The allied fleet immediately bent its course thither, and arrived before Vigo on the 22nd of October, 1702. The French admiral Count de Chateaurenaud had placed his shipping and the galleons within a narrow passage, the entrance to which was defended by a castle on one side, and by platforms mounted with cannon on both sides of the inlet ; a strong boom was thrown across the har- bour. To facilitate the attack on this formidable barrier, the Duke of Ormond landed a portion of his army six miles from Vigo on the 23rd of October, and took, by assault, a battery of forty pieces of cannon, situated at HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, fi'; ^m F 1702 the entrance of the bay. A British flag, hoisted on this fort, was the signal for a general attack. The fleet in full sail approached, broke the boom at liii first shock, and became closely engaged with the enemy's ships, while the British troops that had landed, stormed and captured the batteries. After a vigorous defence, the French and Spaniards, finding they could not escape, set fire to some of their vessels, and cast their cargoes into the sea ; but the British exerted themselves nobly in extinguish- ing the flames, and succeeded in saving six galleons and seven ships of war. Two thousand of the enemy are stated to have perished, and the Spaniards sus- tained a loss in goods and treasure exceeding eight million dollars, more than one-half of which fell to the captors, whose loss in this victory was inconsiderable. Queen Anne, attended by the Lords anC '^nAmons, went in state to St. Paul's Cathedral to r ^ "■ i;hanks for this success, and each of the regiments of infantry received 56 IZ. IO5. prize-money. Villiers's Marines (thirty-first regiment) did not land at Vigo, but served on board the fleet in this gal- lant enterprise. The troops under the Dukeof Ormond subsequently returned to England, and on their arrival in November, 1702, were stationed as follows, namely — Lloyd's 3rd Dragoons (detachment) Foot Guards, 1st and Coldstream Sir H. Bellasis's 2nd Foot Churchill's 3rd „ Seymour's 4th ,, Columbine's 6th ,, Royal Fusiliers 7 th ,, ViLtiEBs's (Marines) Thibty-first Fox's Marines 32nd Foot Viscount Shannon's Marines Portsmouth. Gravesend and Chatham. Portsmouth. Chatham. Plymouth. Portsmouth. Tilbury. Plymouth. Plymouth. Chatham. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 7 On the 6th of January, 1703, seven companies of the 1703 regiment were stationed at Plymouth, and on the 27th of that month four companies were ordered for em- barkation on board of the ships Suffolk and Grafton, which proceeded on service to the coast of Spain, to join the fleet under Admiral Sir George Rooke, and con- tinued in that quarter, and in the Mediterranean, dur- ing that year. In December, 1703, Colonel Villiers, who was in command of the Regiment on board of the fleet, was drowned. He was succeeded in the Colonelcy of the Regiment by Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Lutterell, on the 6th of December of that year. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, being at this time a 1704 Marine Corps, continued to serve on board the fleet in the Mediterranean, and in February, 1704, proceeded, under Admiral Sir George Rooke, to Lisbon, from whence it proceeded to Barcelona, where the troops were landed under the command of Major-General the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, on the 19th of May ; but the force, being inadequate for the purpose intended, was re-embarked on the day following. The fleet next proceeded to attack the fortress of Gibraltar, and the Prince of Hesse effected a landing on the afternoon of the 21st of July, 1704, with eigh- teen hundred British and Dutch Marines : after a bombardment of three days, the governor was forced to capitulate, and the Prince of Hesse took possession of the garrison on the evening of Sunday, the 24th of July, 1704. The attack of the seamen and marines is recorded in history to have been one of the boldest and most difficult ever performed. The fortress of Gibral- tar was thus taken, and was besieged by the Spaniards 6 HIHTOHICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, r 04 and French in October following, for seven months, during which period it was successfully defended by the navy and marines, and has since remained, as a monument of British valour, in possession of the Crown of Great Britain. Attor fidccting a sufficient force to garrison Gibraltar, the Marino Corpi were distributed in the several ships of war which were then collected in the Tagus, in order to co-operate with the land forces on the coast of Spain. 1705 Towards the end of May, 1705, the British fleet hav- ing about five thousand troops on board, with General the Earl of Peterborough, proceeded to Lisbon ; King Charles embarked on board of the Ranelagh on the 23rd of July, and the Dutch fleet having joined in the Tagus, proceeded from thence, and anchored before Barcelona on the 22nd of August. The Earl of Peterborough commenced operations against Barcelona by an attack on the strong fortress of McrUjuichf which was taken by storm on the 1 7th of Soptombcr. In this attack the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt was wounded by a musket-ball which occa- sioned his death. The city of Barcelona was invested, and after considerable efforts on the part of the be- siegers and the t)csicged, the garrison surrendered on the 6th of October, 1705, The capture of Barcelona obtained for the allied forces the applause of the nations of Europe, and in a great degree promoted the cause of King Charles in 1 efforts to succeed to the Crown of Spain. 1706 The decease of Colonel Lutterell having taken place, he was succeeded by Lieut. -Colonel Josiah Churchill, on the Ist of February, 1706. The neglect of King Charles IIL and his counsellors ii|' OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 9 to secure the advantages obtained by the conquestfl 1706 before stated, and the persevering efforts made in favour of King Philip V. by the French, and by those persons in other countries who supported his cause, occasioned great difficulties, as well as serious losses to the allied forces. A powerful French and Spanish force by land, aided by a fleet, attempted the recapture of Barcelona, which was besieged in the beginning of April, 1706; but when the enemy had made preparations to attack the place by storm, the English and Dutch fleet arrived with reinforcements for the garrison ; — the French re- laxed in their efforts, and the siege was raised on the 11th of May. The city cf Barcelona was thus relieved, and the allied fleet, with the troops on board, proceeded to the coast of Valencia ; after capturing Carthagena, and placing six hundred Marines for its defence, the expe^ dition proceeded to an attack upon Alicant, which, after a gallant resistance and severe loss, surrendered on the 25th of August, 1 706. The fleet then proceeded to Iviqa and Majorca, which surrendered to King Charles III., and detachments of Marines were placed as garrisons in those islands. The defeat of the allied forces under the Earl of 1707 Galway by the Duke of Berwick at Almanza, on the 25th of April, 1707, cast a gloom over the prospects of King Charles in Spain ; and in June following, measures were adopted for co-operating with the Duko of Savoy and the Prince Eugene, in an attack upon Toulon. The fleet proceeded for the coast of Italy, and an- chored between Nice and Antibes, when a conference took place with the commanders-in-chief of the sea and land forces, and it was decided that a joint attack 10 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 'tl • ;' .;r: ' ii 1707 should be made upon a portion of the enemy's army which was entrenched upon the river Var ; the enemy having evacuated his positions, they were immediately occupied by several hundred British seamen and ma- rines ; the passage was thus secured for the Duke of Savoy to prosecute his designs^ and ships were stationed along dilfercnt parts of the sea-coast : every aid was aiforded by the fleet ; but the enemy, having been re- inforced, made a successful sally, and the allied forces sustained considerable loss ; the siege was consequently raised on the 10th of August following. 1708 In consequence of King Charles having desired that Sardinia should be reduced, with a view to a passage being opened for his troops into Naples to attack Sicily, and also to secure the means of supplying provisions for his armies, it was decided that a body of marines should be withdrawn from Catalonia to assist in this enterprise. On the 12th of August, 1708, the arma- ment designed for this service arrived before Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, and after receiving a hesitating reply to the summons to surrender, the bombardment commenced on that evening, and continued until the following morning, when, at the break of day, Major- General Wills (Thirtieth regiment), at the head of the ' Marines, with one Spanish regiment, landed, and the place surrendered. It was next decided that an attempt should be made upon the island of Minorca. The fleet accordingly set sail, and arrived before Port Mahon on the 28th of August, 1708. At this period the six marine regiments had been much reduced in numbers by the arduous services on which they had been employed from the commence- ment of the war, so that it became necessary to draft OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 11 the men oftioo of these corps into the other four regi- 1708 mcnts, in order to render this force effective for the service for which it was now destined, and which, there was reason to expect, would be difficult, and would require the most energetic measures towards eifecting the conquest of the island. For this purpose all the Marines fit for service, were drawn from the ships about to return home, and were incorporated in the four regiments which were employed in the reduction of this island. The two regiments (HoU's and Shan- non's) returned to England in order to recruit their numbers. The fleet proceeded to commence operations, and the first attack was against Fort Fomelle, which was can- nonaded, and surrendered after a contest of four hours ; a detachment proceeded to Citadella, the capital, which surrendered ; batteries, which had been erected, were opened on the works defending the town of Port Mahon^ on the 1 7th of September, when, after a short but brisk fire, a lodgment was effected under the walls of St. Philip^ s Castle, and on the following day the place sur- rendered. The valuable and important Island of Minorca was thus reduced to submission to the British Crown by the gallantry of the Navy, and about two thousand four hundred Marines ; the island, which was ceded to Great Britain at the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, con- tinued in the British possession until the year 1756, when it was recaptured by a combined Spanish and French force under the command of Marshal the Duke de Richelieu.* "* Minorca, an island in the Mediterranean, on the eastern coast of Spain, is about thirty miles in length and twelve in breadth, and is chiefly valuable for the excellent harbour of Port Mahon. In September, 1708, 12 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, ^ n I if i! 1709 In the early part of the year 1709, an armament wa« prepared for the purpose of attacking Port Royal in the province of Nooa Scotia, which was then in posses- sion of the French ; the expedition was entrusted to Colonel Nicholson of the Marines, and to Captain Martin of the Navy. The squadron proceeded to Boston, where it was reinforced by some ships, and by provincial auxiliary troops : a council of war was held, and arrangements were made for disembarking the troops, which took place on the 24th of September. The fortress surrendered on the 1st of October, and the Marines took possession. The fortress was named Anna-poll's Royal, in honor of Queen Anne, in whose reign the conquest was effected. The affairs of Spain at this time had materially changed, and the prospects of King Charles III. in obtaining the monarchy had become very doubtful. The town of Alicant, after sustaining a powerful siege by the forces of Spain and France, was compelled to surrender in April ; the fleet under Admiral Sir George Byng, and the troops on board under Lieut.- Minorca was taken by Admiral Leake and a land force under Lieat.- General Stanhope, after a siege of about three weeks. The island was ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht, and remained in its possession until 1756, when, in April ot that year, it was besieged by the French, under Marshal the Duke de Bichelieu. After a brave de- fence by the Governor, General Blakeney, the garrison, consisting of the 4th, 23rd, 24th, and 34th re^ments, surrendered, and, in consideration of their gallantry, were permitted to march out with all the honors of war. At the peace of Fontainebleau, in 1763, Minorca was restored to the English in exchange for Belle-Isle. In February, 1782, the garrison, under the Governor, Lieut-General the Honorable James Murray, after suffering severely from sickness, surrendered to the Duke de Crillon, the Commander-in-Chief of the combined French and Spanish forces, and Minorca was retained by Spain at the peace of 1783. M'iiorca again surrendered to a British force under General the Honorable Charles Stuart, on the 15th of November, 1798 ; and at the peace of Amiens, in 1802, Minorca was restored to the Spaniards, under whose sway it remains at the present period. i IllL OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 18 General Stanhope, wh'.' were destined for its relief, 1709 were prevented, by heavy gales and severe weather, from communicating with the town, and affording the desired assistance. The garrison consisted of Colonel Sir Charles Hotham's and Colonel Frederick Sybourg's regiments (afterwards disbanded), together with a large body of Marines, who evinced the molt heroic perseverance in maintaining the place. On the 6th of April, 1709, the enemy sprung a mine, which split the reckon which the Castle of Alicantvf a.aH\tVLQ,ted, when Colonel Sybourg and several other officers were swallowed up in the opening, which immediately closed. Although they had been permitted to see the mine, they refused to capitulate ; the garrison afterwards continued to defend the castle, until Lieut.-Oenoral Stanhope, being unable to communicate with the town, proposed terms of surrender, which being acceded to, the gallant survivors of the siege were conveyed on board the fleet, and were removed to Minorca, and afterwards to Barcelona. In March, 1710, Admiral Sir John Norris, who had 1710 arrived at Port Mahon as^ commander-in-chief of the Naval forces, proceeded to Barcelona, in the month of June, in order to concert with King Charles III. the plan of future operations. It was determined that an expedition should proceed against the Isle of Cette in the province of Languedoc. His troops, including the Marines, landed on the 1 3th of July, and after a feeble resistance the fort surrendered : the regiment of Stan- hope and three hundred Marines advanced against Agde^ and the town surrendered. The Isle of Cette was shortly afterwards recaptured by the French, but the British troops had been previously re-embarked. 14 mSTORlCAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1711 Colonel Churchill having received Her Majesty's permission to sell his commission, Lieut.-Colonel Sir Harry Goring, Bart., was promoted to the Colonelcy of the Thirty-hrst Regiment by purchase, on the 1st of March, 1711. The decease of Joseph I., Emperor of Germany, took place on the 17th of April, 1711. and King Charles III. of Spain was elected Emperor of Ger- many, by the title of Charles VI., on the 12th of Oc- tober of that year : this circumstance rendered unneces- sary any further attempts in the cause of King Charles on the part of the British Govemirent. His Majesty embarked at Barcelona on board of the fleet, and pro- ceeded to assume the duties of the Imperial throne. 1712 In the year 1712 negotiations were entered into be- tween Great Britain and France, and a Treaty of Peace was concluded at Utrecht, on the 1 1th of April, 1713 1713. By this treaty it was settled, that Great Britain should retain possession of Gibraltar, Minorca, and Nova Scotia, which had been conquered during the war, and in acquiring which the Marine Corps had greatly contributed. From the period of the formation of the thirty- first regiment, in the year 1 702, as a Corps of Marines, to the termination of the war by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the regiment was employed, by detachments, on board the fleet, and was engaged on various services at sea, as well as on land, according to the conditions on which it was raised.* Among the reductions which were directed to take * The nature of the services on which the Marine Corps were em- ployed has since obtained for them the Royal authority to bear the motto, " Per mare, per terrain." ■ Hi OR UUNTINQDONSUIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 15 place in the establishment of the army consequent on 1713 the Peace of Utrecht, the Marine Corps were included in the list of regiments to be discontinued. The decease of Queen Anne took place on the 1st of 1714 Au{ru8t, 1714, and King George I., who was then at Hanover, was immediately proclaimed as the Sovereign of Great Britain and Ireland. The partisans of the Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart, son of the late King, James II., renewed their exertions in his be- half; and Jacobite principles had become so prevalent in certain pp.rts of the kingdom, that it was necessary that the avmy, which had been considerably reduced after the Peace of Utrecht, should be again augmented. Six additional regiments of cavalry (from the ninth to the fourteenth dragoons) were raised. The establish- ments of the regiments of infantry were increased, and, in consideration of the services of the Marine Corps during the late war, Wills's, now thirtieth, — Goring's, now thirty-first^ — and Borr's, now thirty-second^ which had been ordered to be disbanded, were retained on the establishment, and were incorporated with the regiments of infantry of the line, and authorised to take rank ac- cording to the dates of their original formation in 1702. The adherents of the Stuart dynasty continued to be 171 •'> numerous, particularly in Scotland, where active prepa- rations were made for the elevation of the " Pretender " to the throne; and the Chevalier de St. George* (so * " On the morning of Sunday, the 10th of June, 1688, a day long kept " sacred by the too faithful adherents of a bad cause, was born James " Francis Edward Stuart, the most unfortunate of princes, destined to " seventy-seven years of exile and wandering, — of vaiu projects, — of ho- " nours more galling than insults, — and of hopes such as make the heart " sick." — ' History of England,' by Thomas Babingtun Macanlay. Vol. ii. page SO.*?. I ill h f ■I' u HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1715 styled in France) repeated the attempt which he had made in 1708, and effected a landing in Scotland in December, 1715, where a rebellion had broken out in September ; the Earl of Mar had assembled his vassals, erected the standard of the Pretender in the Highlands, and had been joined by several clans, to the number of ten thousand men. King George I. was supported by his Parliament in adopting energetic measures for opposing the designs of the Jacobites, and for maintaining the Protestant Succession. To oppose the rebellious forces, the Duke of Argyle was appointed to the command of the army in Scotland. After several movements and skirmishing, the rebel army, commanded by the Earl of Mar, advanced, in the early part of November, towards the Firth ; and the Duke of Argyle quitted the camp at Stirling, and pro- ceeded to the vicinity of Dumhlaine. On the morning of Sunday, the 13th of November, the hostile armies confronted each other on Sheriffmuir. After half-an- hour's sharp fighting the left wing of the rebel army gave way, and the King's troops captured several standards and colours ; but while this portion of the rebel army was being pursued, the rebels had defeated the left wing of the royal army. Thus each commander had a wing triumphant and a wing defeated: both armies returned to their former ground, but the action was not renewed. The rebels were, however, defeated in their design of crossing the Firth, and they retired, during the night, towards Perth. The royal army returned to Stirling on the following day. The rebels who had assembled in England under the Earl of Derwentwater and Mr. Forster, were also compelled to surrender at Preston, in Lancashire, to General Car- OR III!NTINODON8IIinE REGIMENT OP Fl Sir Harry Goring, on the 8th of September, 1716, Lord John Kerr was appointed to the Colonelcy of the regiment. The remainder of the reign of King George I. did not produce any events to give occasion for the active services of the army, and the movements of regiments from one station to another seldom took place. 1727 His Majesty's decease occurred on the 1 1th of June, 1727, and his son. King George II., succeeded to the throne. 1728 Major-General Lord John Kerr died on the 1st of August, 1728, and on the 13th of that month, Colonel the Honorable Charles Cathcart, from the Ninth foot, was appointed to the Colonelcy of the thirty-fipst regiment. 1731 Colonel William Hargrave was promoted on the 1st of January, 1731, from the Seventh Royal Fusiliers to the Colonelcy of the THiRTY-FinST regiment, in suc- cession to Colonel the Honorable Charles Cathcart, who was removed to the Eighth drugoons. 1737 On the 27th of January, 1737, Colonel William Han- dasyd was promoted from the Fifteenth foot to the Colonelcy of the TniUTY-FiRST regiment, in succession to Colonel William Hargrave, who was removed to tlie Ninth foot. 'ii'l OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 19 In the year 1739 the thirty-fir8T regiment was 1739 removed from Ireland to Great Britain. In the two previous years the British merchants had made great complaints against the Spanish depredations in America, and on the 23rd of October, 1739, war was proclaimed against Spain by Great Britain ; and the events which occurred in Germany in the following year 1740 occasioned the contest that is designated the " War of the Austrian Succession," in which most of the European powers became enga^n'A, and which disturbed the long interval of comparative peace that had succeeded the Treaty of Utrecht.* These events were occasioned by the decease of Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, on the 20th of October, 1740. The Emperor was the last Prince of the House of Austria, and he was succeeded in his hereditary do- minions by his eldest daughter, the Archduchess Maria Theresa, who married, in 1736, the Duke Francis Stephen, of Lorraine. Tlie Duke, in the following year, became Grand-Duke of Tuscany. Immediately on her father's decease, Maria Theresa was proclaimed Queen of * From the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, in April, 1713, until 1739, the only events that appeared at times to threaten the general tranquillity of Europe which prevailed during the above period, arose from the Rebellion in Scotland, in favour of the Pretender, in 1715, which was suppressed by the Battle of Sheriffmuir, on the 13th of Nov. ember of that year. Charles XII., of Sweden, also espoused the cause of the Pretender in 1717, but the death of King Charles^ iu the following year, put an end to the projected expedition to Great Britain. In 1719 Spain supported the Pretender with troops, wh.ch were, however, defeated at G/enshiel, on the 10th of June, 1719. This was followed by the British expedition against Spain, but in January, 1720, the Spanish Monarch accepted the conditions of Peace. In 1726 Spain made au unsuccessful attempt to recover Gibraltar, and in 1729 a treaty of Peace was concluded at Seville, which remained unbroken for the ten following years. o 2 ,1: i:^ ■ M li- in; 11: ill i ' ■ rr 1 ■' il ■: ■'li II s:p ! ''r i i 1:"^ J>'l '■/'i M 20 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY- FIRST, 1740 Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Transylvania, Arch- duchess of Austria, and universal successor to all the dominions of the House of Austria, pursuant to the " Pragmatic Sanction ;"* and she declared her husband co-regent in the government of her dominions. Although the possessions of Austria were guaranteed to the Archduchess Maria Tlieresa by the German Edict known in history as the " Pragmatic Sanction," to whicii nearly all the powers of Europe had boen parties, yet tiie succession of the Archduchess to her father's Austrian hereditary territories was disputed by several claimants ; and among others by Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, who was afterwards elected Emperor of Germany. The King of Prussia also revived a dormant claim to Silesia, which he invaded in November ; the Prussian monarch offered Maria Theresa sufficient money to resist all her enemies, on condition of ceding Silesia to him, but the proposition was indignantly rejected. 1741 The King of France supported the Elector of Bavaria, while King George II. supported the Archduchess Maria Then i£ -. and in April, 1741, the British Parliament voted a subsidy of 300,000/. to the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. His Majesty also informed the Parlia- ment, that the Queen of Hungary had demanded the twelve thousand troops he had stipulated to furnish ; and accordingly he had requested the King of Denmark and the King of Sweden to hold in readiness their quotas of six thousand men each, for the maintenance of which they had received subsidies from England. King George II. * The " Pragmatic Sanction " was publighed by the Emperor Charles VI. on the 17th of April, 1713, whereby, in case of his having no male issue, his daughters were to succeed to his hereditary dominions, in pre- ference to the sons of his late brother, Joseph I. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 21 was tlrawn into the war from the apprehensiom of losing 1741 Hanover, but at this period His Majesty abstained from being a principal in the contest, by agreeing with the French sovereign, Louis XV., to give his vote, as Elector of Hanover, to the Elector of Bavaria for the dignity of Emperor of Germany, and thereby to prp?:5rve the neutrality of his Hanoverian territories. During 1741 and the previous year the regiment was encamped at Windsor, and on Lexden Heath, near Colchester, as part of the force ordered to be prepared lor the assistance of Maria Theresa, but no embarkation for continental service took place during the year 1741. The Elector of Bavaria was chosen Emperor of Ger- 1742 many at Frankfort on the Maine, and crowned, as Charles VII., on the 1 Ith of February, 1742 : he was, however, a most unhappy prince ; his electoral dominions were over- run by the Austrians, the French were driven out of Bohemia, and the King of Prussia, under the mediation of King George H., concluded a peace at Breslau with the Queen of Hungary. The King of England resolving to take a more active part in the war, an army of sixteen thousand men, under Field-Marshal the Earl of Stair, was ordered to be em- barked for the Netherlands in the summer of 1742, in order to support the Queen of Hungary. On the 17th of May the thirty-first regim^mt embarked at Deptford for Flanders, having been pre- viously reviewed on Kew-green by King George II. and the Duke of Cumberland, with the other regiinents destined for the above service.* No action took place * See list of British regiments which served in Flanders and G^ rmany between 1742 and 1748, during the " ff 'ar of the Austrian Succ.:ssioii." —Appendix, page 224. IS' lil ! »■ i§ I'- '^' ri * Mi 4 i 22 HIBTOniCAL nECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1742 during tho year, the troops being suddenly marched into winter-quarters, after every preparation 1: ad been made for active operations. 1743 In the commencement of the year 1743 the British and Hanoverian troops were assembled in the Low Countrien, commanded by Field-Marshal the Earl of Sfair, as allies to ♦lie Austrians, under the command of Marshal Nouperg and the Duke d'Aremberg, and ad- vanced towards Germany, in order to secure the navi- gation of the Upper Maine. The French Marshal, Noailles, had anticipated the British general, and was already on tho opposite shore of this river, and in pos- session of its principal posts when the Allies arrived at Aschaffenberg. Here the Allied army remained until June, on tho I9th of which month King George II., attended by the Duke of Cumberland, arrived at the camp. Tlie two armies were encamped on the plains near the banks of the Maine, opposite to, and in sight of, each other ; with a ridge of hills, covered with woods on the north of each, the Allies being on the north and the French on the south side of the river. The Confederate army amounted to nearly forty thousand mpn^ In high spirits, though nearly destitute of provisions. A retro- grade movement being resolved on for the purpose of obtaining supplies, as well as to effect a juncaon with a corps of twelve ♦housand Hessians and Hanoverians, in some danger of being cut off at Hanau, His Majesty, on tho evening of the 26th of June, gave orders that the army shou^'» hold itself in readiness to march on the following morning ; accordingly the Confederate army marched tovt^ards Dettingen before daylight on the morning of the 27th of June. The army Wds OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 23 weakened for want of provisions, the soldiers having 1743 been on half-rations for some time, and the horses were without forage. Marshal Noailles immediately ordered a large force of cavalry and infantry, composed of the household troops and of the Royal Guards, to the village of Vettinffen, by which the British had to pass. The thiety-first regi- ment, under the command of Lieut. -Colonel Montague^ was in advance towards Dettingen, when the French made the above movement, and gave the first intelligence of it to His Majesty. Aschaffenberg was occupied by the French the mo- ment it was evacuated by the Allies. The Confederate army had to march through a narrow way between a mountain and the Maine, the ^uunon oA the opposite side of the river commanding its flank. Dettingen, in front, was occupied in force by the French, and also Aschaffen- berg in the rear. In this situation the destruction of the Allies seemed inevitable; but Marshal NoaiJ' having repassed the river, the Duke de Grammont, who suc- ceeded to the command, advanced to the attack through the defile, thus relinquishing all the advantages of his position. The British troops, animated by the presence of their Sovereign, on the 27th of June, received the im- petuous attack of the French with such steadiness anu intrepidity, that the latter were forced to retire, and re- cross the Maine with the greatest precipitatioii and the loss of five thousand men. The Twentieth and thirty-first regiments were in reserve in a wood on the British right, and towards the afternoon they were led into action by his Majesty in person, who evinced the same martial qualities for which he was dislinguisheu at the battle of Oudenarde, on the Ilj i' Mi I i I? . »": I: mi li f i|:lfi| hi-' i 24 HI8TOUICAL RECORD OF TUB THIRTY FIRST, 1743 Uth of July, 1708, when Hereditary Prince of Brunswick Lunenburg. The regiment sustained but trifling loss at the battle of Dettingen, in consequunco of its having been in reserve during the early ])art of nortal honor." Ghent was shortly afterwards taken by the French. The allied army remained entrenched between Antwerp and Brussels until the French Marshal had reduced the cliief fortified places in Austrian Flanders.* On the 2nd of September the Grand-Duke of Tuscany was elected Emperor of Germany, by the title of Francis I. At this period the rebellion in Scotland began to assume a formidable aspect. Prince Cliarles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, who had arrived in the Highlands towards the end of July, had been joined by several clans, and on the 16th of September proclaimed his father King of Great Britain, at Edinburgh. The success gained over the Royal army, under Lieutenant-Oeneral Sir John Cope, at Preston-PanSf on the 21st of September, caused numerous adherents to flock to the Prince's standard. Several regiments were in consequence recalled from the Continent, and the thirty-first, with other corps, arrived in the river Thames on the 25th of October.f * Vide List of Battles, Sieges, &c., inserted in Appendix, page 223. j- The regiments which returned to England from Flanders, on this occasion, are specified in the List inserted in the Appendix, page 224. Oa IIIINTINGDONSHIUi: REOIMENT OF FOOT. 29 Tilt' THIRTY-FIRST rcgitnoiit, which had been much 1745 roduced by its casualties during the campaigns in Flanders, did not proceed to Scotland, but remained in the vicinity of London. The young Pretender marched as far as Derby, from whence he commenced his retreat to the north on the 6th of December, as ho found but few partisans in England to join him in his expedition. On the 16th of April, 1746, a decisive blow was given i74() to the hopes of the Pretender by the defeat of the rebels at CuUoden. Princ(5 Charles, after enduring many hard- ships, escaped to Prance. Several regiments were now ordered to return to Flan- ders, but the THIRTY-FIRST remained in Great Britain. On the 2nd of July, 1747, the Duke of Cumberland 1747 engaged the French at Laffeld, or Val, where the Allies suffered severely from the misconduct of the Dutch troops. In the summer of 1748 the Allies again took the field, I74S but hostilities were at length terminated by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which was signed on the 7th of October, 1748. By it all the great treaties, from that of West- phalia in 1648, which first recognised the principle of a balance of power in Europe, to that of Vienna in 1738' were renewed and confirmed. Prussia retained Silesia, and the Empress-Queen, Maria Theresa, was guiiranteed in the possession of her hereditary dominions, according to the Pragmatic Sanction. France surrendered her con- quests in Flanders, and England those in the East and West Indies; all therefore Great Britain gained by the war was the glory of having supported the German sove- reignty of Maria Theresa, and of having adhered to former treaties. Colonel Henry Holmes was appointed by King 1749 George II. to the Coloneley of the thirty-first regi- I' "fl i P''' H!*,^ ^K 80 IirSTORICAL HKCOai) OF THK TlIIllTY-FIRST, I !i| t^v'! ■■il ■IIH 1749 rnoiit on tho 8th of Hay, 1749, in siiccussion to Culonul Lord Henry lioanclork, who retired from tho service. In the year 1749 the tihrty-fihst regiment was embarked for Minorca, where it remained lor the three following years. 1751 In tho Royal Warrant, dated tho Ist of July, 1751, for ensuring uniformity in the clothing, standards, and colours of the army, and regulating the number and rank of regiments, the facings of the thirty-first regiment were directed to be Buff. Tho first, or King's colour, was tho Great Union ; the second, or Regimental colour, was of Buff ^ilk, with the Union in the upper canton ; in the centre of the colour tho number of the rank of the regi- ment, in gold Roman characters, within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk. 1752 In 1752 the regiment returned to England from Minorca. 1753 During the years 1753 and 1754 the thirty-first 1754 regiment was stationed in England. 1755 In the year 1755 the regiment proceeded to Scotland, in which country it remained for seven years. 1756 While the regiment was stationed in North Britain, the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was interrupted by the aggressions of the French on the British territory in North America, and early in 1 756 the King of France prepared a powerful armament for the capture of the island of Minorca. In conseqtience of this attack on Minorca, hostilities became inevitable on the part of Great Britain, and on the 18th of May war was declared against France. The garrison of Minorca, consisting of the 4th, 23rd, 24th, and 34th regiments, after making a noble and vigorous defence, which called forth the unqualified ad- on IIUNTINODON8IIIRE llEQIMENT OF FOOT. 31 miration of their opponents, was forced to surrender on l'^''<> the 2Ufli of June. At this period the army and navy wore increased, and among other augmentations, fifteen of the regiments of infantry were authorised to raise second battalions from ih« 251 h of August, 1756. In 1758 these additional battalions were formed into 1758 distinct corps, and numbered from the Sixty-first to the Sovonty-fifth regiment. By this arrangement the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment was constituted the present Seventieth regiment.* The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, having been selected to 1759 remain in the United Kingdom, was precluded from taking a part in The Seven Years' War, the most memor- able occurrences of which were, the battle of Plassey, gained in India by Colonel Clive, on the 23rd of June, 1757, which laid the foundation of the British dominion in India; in Germany, the battle of Minden, which was fought on the 1st of August, 1759; in North America, the capture of Cape Breton, in July, 1758; and the cap- ture of Quebec, in September, 1759, which cost the life of the gallant General Wolfe, but which led to the con- quest of Canada in the following year, when Montreal, Snd Batt. Constituted * 3rd Foot, the filst Regiment. 2nd Datt. Constituted 24th Foot, the 69th Regiment. 4th „ the C3nd Regiment. 8th „ the C3rd Regiment, nth „ the 64th Regiment. 12th „ the 65th Regiment. 19th „ the CGth Regiment. 20th „ the 67th Regiment. 23rd „ the 68th Regiment. The 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th, and 75th regiments were disbanded after the peace of Fontainebkau in 176.3. 31st M the 70th Regiment. 32nd ') the 71st Regiment. 33rd I» the 72nd Regiment. 34th II the 73rd Regiment. 36th >, the 74th Regiment. 37th )> the 75th Regiment. i! !:,:! I,, i,S I i' i i II.' 32 HISTORICAL RECORD OP TIIK THIRTY-FIRST, 1759 with the whole of that country, surrt'iidered to General Amherst, in September, 1700. 17C0 III Germany several hard-fought but indecisive actions occurred : the battle of Warbourg, on the 31st of Juiy, 1760 ; the action near the Convent of Campen, on the 16th of October following; and the battle of Kirch Denkern, or Fellinghausen, ou the 15th and 16th of July. 1761. In the following year actions were fought at Wilhelmstahl and at Amonobourg ; the former on the 24th of June, and the latter on the 'ilst of September. 1762 On tb^ 4th of January, 1762, war vras declared against Spain; and Martinique, Grenada, St. Vincent, and other West India isUnds surrendered to English valour. The important city o." Havannah, in Cuba, also capitulated to the British arms. These successes were followed by a Treaty of Peace, the preliminary articles of which wore signed at Fontainebleau, by the Duke of Bedford, on the 3rd of November, 1762. In June, 1762, the thirty- first regiment proceeded from Scotland to England, where it was stationed during the two following years. On the 20th of August, 1762, Colonel James Adolphus Oughton, from the Fifty-fifth regiment, was appointed by His Majesty King George III. to the Colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment, in succession to Lieutenant- General Henry Holmes, deceased. 1763 The treaty of Fontainebleau wai* concluded at Paris on the 10th of February, the ratifications were exchanged on the 10th of March, and peace was proclaimed in London on the 22nd of that month. By this treaty, the whole of Canada, part of Louisiana, together wl*h Cape Breton, and the other islands in the OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REOIMENT OF FOOT. 33 Gulf of St. Lawrence, were ceded to Great Britain. In i763 the West Indies, the islands of Tobago, Dominica, St. Vincent, and Grenada were retained by Great Britain ; but Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marigalante, and St. Lucia were restored to France. In the East Indies, the French obtained the restitution of their settlements, but agreed not to erect any fortifications in Bengal. Minorca was restored to England in exchange for Belle- Isle, which had been captured by the British in 1761, and it was stipulated that the fortifications of Dunkirk should be demolished. Spain ceded East and West Florida to Great Britain, in return for the restitution of the Havannah, Manilla, and all the places which Spain had lost since the commence- ment of the war. In this year the thirty-first regiment was embarked 1765 for Pensacola, the capital of West Florida, which country had been ceded to Great Britain by Spain at the peace of Fontainebleau ; on the passage out, the transport having the regiment on board put into Blue-field Bay, Jamaica, at the time the yellow fever was raging with great violence in that island ; the thirty-first took the infection, and unfortunately carried it to Pensacola, where the soldiers continxjed to suffer most severely ; so great was the mor- tality, and so rapid the disease in its course, that the regi- ment could not supply men to carry their comrades to the grave. The men who attended the funerals of their brother soldiers in the morning, while the regiment was strong enough to preserve some ceremony, were, in many instances, consigned to the tomb in the evening. It appears by the newspapers of the period, in which allusion is made to the mortality, that at one period of ils illness the regiment could muster only a corporal and six men for duty. o i li I L-). .' i i:,i 34 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1772 The regiment remained in the Floridas, garrisoning alternately St. Augustine and Pensacola, the capitals of East and West Florida, until the autumn of 1772, when it was embarked for St. Vi7icent, to take part in reducing to submission the refractory Caribs in that island. The island of St. Vincent was captured from the French, in 1762, and was ceded to Great Britain at the peace concluded in the following year ; it contained two tribes of natives, called the red and black Caribs, the former being the aborigines, and the latter having sprung from a cargo of African slaves, who escaped from a vessel which was wrecked on the island. The Caribs were devoted to the French interest; they were dangerous and trouble- some neighbours to the English planters, and it was found necessary to restrain their conduct, and enforce obedience to a few salutary regulations. They were, however, of a resolute spirit, possessed many thickly wooded fastnesses, and resisted all attempts to restrain their roving propensities and mode of life with such deter- mination, that it became necessary to augment the mili- tary force on the island. Although they were con- temptible opponents in skill, ye^ the nature of the climate, and the natural difficulties of the country, being thickly wooded where they inhabited, rendered the service ex- tremely tedious and arduous. ms On the 14th of January, 1773, the thirty-first regi- ment fell into an ambuscade, and sustained some loss; the conmianding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Walsh, was among the killed. 1714 After the troops had been in the woods for somp months, they at length succeeded, in February, ]77'1, in bringing the Caribs to terms, who agreed u acknowledge the sovereignty of Great Britain, but OR lIUNTINGDONSHinE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 35 were permitted to preserve their own laws and cus- 1774 toms. Tlius terminated the Carib war. The thirty-first regiment returned to England, and was subsequently stationed in North Britain. At this period the unfortunate misunderstanding 1775 between Great Bi'tain and her American colonies, on the subject of taxation, produced open hostilities. On the 1 9th of April the first collision occurred at Lexing- ton, and on the 17th of June following the battle of Dunher's Hill was fought. During the winter Quebec was besieged by an American Army : this fortress was gallantly defended by the troops under Lieut.-General Guy Carleton, and reinforcements were ordered to proceed from England to Canada. The THIRTY-FIRST rcgimcnt proceeded from Glasgow 1770 to Cork, whence it embarked for Canada in April, as part of the army under Major-General Burgoyne, The transports arrived at Quebec on the 28th of May, shortly after the defeat of the Americans by a sortie of the garrison. Lieut.-General Carleton had pursued the enemy up the river St. Lawrence., and Major- Gcncral Burgoyne'. 'M'ce remained only one night at anchor below Quebec, where orders had been left for him to follow. He joined at Trois Rivieres ; part of the army disembarked and immediately occupied the villages adjacent to their post on the road to Montreal On the 8th of June the Americans attempted to sur- prise the j)ost of Trois Rivieres, having passed the river from Sorel with two thousand men. Brigadier-General Fraser, who commanded at the post of Trois Rivieres, gave the foe a ready reception, "ith such men as he could collect, and, being soon sup- D 2 ^iv'sm I 1^ 36 HIBTOUK'AI, ISECOUD OF TIIK THIRTY- FIRST, 1776 ported from the cantonments and the transports, put the Amcricanw to the rout. The troops y)ursued the fugitive-i aloni; the shore, while the shipping sailed up the river and intcrcei)ted their flight. Major-General Thompson, the American General, with many officers, and two hundred men, were taken prisoners. On the 14th of June the flotillas and the force on shore reached Sorcl, which the colonists had evacuated a few hourH before ; Major-General Burgoyne con- tinued the pufHuit as far as St. John's, where the troops from the transports under Major-General Phillijjs joined him, and soon afterwards an additional enforcement under Brigadier-General Fraser. All ho])e of accommodation now failed ; on the 4th of July the .American Congress issued their Declaration of Independence, and abjured their allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain. By this Declaration the name oUcolouicH was abolished, and the thirteen provinces, namely, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, were constituted the United States of America. 'I he whole of Major-General Burgoynes army was assembled by the end of July at St. John's, where it remained encamped during the naval operations on Lake Champlain. After the defeat of the American fleet, on the 1 1 th of October, the weather becoming too se.erc for further operations in the field, the troops re- turned to Canada. The posts occupied by the thirty- first regiment tluring the winter were Sorel, St. Charles, St. Denis, St. Anthony, and St. Ours. Mtijor-General Burgoyne, who had proceeded to on IIUNTINODONSUIRE REGIMENT OP FOOT. 37 England to submit to the Government a plan for the 1777 ensuing campaign, arrived in Canada in May, 1777» empowered to carry it out. An army, composed of British, Dutch, and Colonial Corps, with the flank companies of the regiments left to garrison Quebec (among which was the thirty-first regiment), amounting to nearly eight thousand men, was equipped and in the field by the 1st of July. The flank companies of the thirty-first, commanded by Captains Cotton and Simpson, formed, with the other flank companies and the twenty-fourth regi- ment, the advance of the army under Brigadier- General Fraser. Ticonderago was first attacked, and the Provincials wer^ forced to evacuate that post. Major-General Burgoyne's plan was to penetrate the United States from Lake Champlain to the river Hudson, and advance upon Albany, with the view of reducing that country to submission. While Major- Gcneral Burgoyne moved towards the lake by Skenes- horotigh, a short distance inland from South Bay, where an action occurred on the Gth of July, Brigadier- General Fraser, with the advance, followed the Provin- cial troops towards Castleton, and on the following day commenced an action by detaching his lig^t companies to occujy a height commanding their flank. The American General observing this movement, detached a force to prevent the British obtaining possession of this post. A sharp action ensued, and the Americans rotrcated with much loss to Hubcrton, where, meeting with a rei\:forcement, they made a stand in good order. Brigadier-General Fraser attacked them with great vigour, but not having half their number, made no impression uj)on them, until Major-General lleidesel, ! i;- i-l Mil ml |r VI I I, - 'I m , li-^i ,y • .1, It: 38 IIISTOmCAL UECORD OF THE THIRTY-Fint'T, 1777 commanding the Dutch, arrived, when their flank being turned, the Americans retreated, leaving two hundred dead on the field, among whom was Colonel Francis, their commander. The flank companies were hotly engaged in this aflair. Brigadier-Ger ' ^'aser had but 850 men in the beginning of tl .niile the enemy amounted to 2000. When Major-General Burgoyne joined, he pursued the Americans to Fort Anne and Fort Edward, not- withstanding the natural difficulties of the road, which the enemy increased by every possible means that could be devised. The Americans retreated from Fort Edward to Saratoga, and abandoning Fort George, left the navigation of Lake George open to Major- Gencrpi Burgoyne. General Arnold was now appointed to command the Americans in the British front, and, forming at Sara- toga, fell back to Stillwater. Major-General Burgoyne remained at Fort Edward in great want of provisions and of means to advance; a detachment sent to procure supplies was completely cut off" at Bennington, while Lieut. -Colonel St. Leger was compelled to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix, leaving behind his equipage and baggage. The Americans, greatly elated by these circum- stances, had assembled a large body under Major- General Gates at Stillwater. Small parties? having been detached to Licut.-General Burgoyne's " rear, were in some measure successful, and his communica- tion being thus threatened, notwithstanding his Jifli * !\liij(n-(jIoiKral .loliu l^urpoyno >*ii« jtioinoicd to tlif rank of Lieut. ♦ jcucnil oil the iJ'Jili i>i Aufiiu-t, 1777 on HTJNTINaDONSIIIUE REGIMENT OP FOOT. 39 cultics, arising from want of resources, ^c resolved to 1777 advance, and at all hazards to attempt a junction with the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Henry Clinton, taking with him thirty days' provisions. Lieut.-General Burgoyne crossed the river Hudson on the 13th and 14th of September by a bridge of rafts, which had once been swept away, and on the 18th arrived at Stillwater, before the enemy's position, which he attacked at two o'clock in the afternoon of the 19th of September, when a severe and indecisive action ensued. Both parties held their respective positions, and entrenched them- selves within them. The British General, confined between two rivers by a stronger force than his own, continued within his lines and redoubts until the 7th of October, and when nearly destitute of provisions, determined to make another effort to extricate his troops; 1500 British, with twelve pieces of artillery, commanded by Lieut.-General Burgoyne in person, moved in advance towards the American position, and formed his right wing, while a body of light companies and Indians were placed under cover to act upon the enemy's rear when he should be sufficiently advanced. General Gates, observing this separation of wings, in- stantly attacked the left wing with a view to cut off all chance of a junction ; the British grenadiers were in this wing, and behaved with great gallantry General Arnold attacked the British right, and Briga- dier-General Fraser threw the light companies into a second line, in rear of the right wing, to cover its retreat upon the left. While this movement was taking place, the left of the right wing doubled to the rear. Brigadier-General Fraser led the light infantry lo itb su])port, but wab mortally wounded ; not, lu)W W 'li ' If liV'l Mil I' li If 1 8 ii i\ ,,vM ■ ;|;, ■n 40 UISTOUICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1777 ever, before his brave troops gave the right wing time to recover, and secured Lieut-General Burgoyne's retreat to his camp. The Americans pushed on, and obtained an entrance into the British lines : night put -n an end to the action. During the night Lieut-General Burgoyne remover' his position to higher ground in his rear. General Gates distributed his corps to surround the British, and Lieut." General Burgoyne once more tried a new position, retiring on Saratoga, and abandoning his baggage and provisions, as well as his hospital with 300 sick. He reached Saratoga safely, the Americans having been delayed in their pursuit by bad wenthci : a detachment, sent to observe the British, sue. eded in reaching the place, but withdrew on the appearance of Lieut. -General Burgoyne's force. Sending a c^otach- mcnt with workmen to examine and repair the roads, Lieut.-Gcncral Burgoyne resolved to continue his retreat to Fort George. The detachment, which was of regular troops, had scarcely marched, when the Americans appeared in force ; it was instantly recalled, and the hope of rendering the roads passable for artil- lery was abandoned. The British patrols reported that every avenue of escape was in possession of the enemy ; the men were worn down with fatigue and hunger, having been for some time on a reduced allow- ance, and but three days' provisions remained. Under these circumstances Lieut.- General Burgoyne was con- strained to treat with Major- General Gates, and ob- taining honorable terms, capitulated on the 17th of OctobtT. The troops, of which the r/renadier and li(/ht comimia'cs oi' the i'"!1uty-F!i ^>' >' '^.^'* ■> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 Sfiu m u* Iii2 12.2 I.I Sf U& 110 w ><• I. Photographic Sciences Corporation 93 WHT MAIN STRUT WIMTIR.N.Y. MSM ( 71* ) 173-4903 4r ^ o^ ^ li'^. !l i ■'il^rJ ! ''If ;■ 1,1 liL ■''' "y 44 HISTORICAL RECORD OP THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1789 In the summer of 1789 two British vessels were seized by the commander of a Spanish frigate at Nootka Sound, on the western coast of North America, where a settlement had recently been established for carrying on the fur-trade with the natives. The settle- ment was taken possession of by Spain, and the Bri- tish crews v< ere made prisoners. The Government, on receiving this intelligence, called upon the Court of Madrid to make satisfaction for these injuries, and great preparations were made for war by both coun- tries. 1790 Accordingly in July, 1 790, the thirty-first regi- ment embarked at Spithead on board the fleet to perform its original service of Marines, in the event of a war with Spain, which appeared probable. Thb negotiations were protracted to a considerable length of time, but on the 28th of October a convention was entered into, by which Spain agreed to make repara- tion for the injuries sustained, and to restore Nootka. 1791 In July, 1791, the thirty-first regiment was sent hastily to Birmingham, to aid in the suppression of very serious disturbances, which broke out there in consequence of the celebration of the anniversary of the French Revolution, on the 14th of July, 1791, by a party of the " Friends of Freedom," at a tavern. The populace destroyed the house and chapel of Dr. Priest- ley, the eminent philosopher, and burned many of the dwellings of those suspected to be friendly to the French cause. The troops employed were praised for their regularity and forbearance on this occasion. When order had been restored in Birmingham, an outbreak among the miners at Whitehaven called for the assistance of the military, and the regiment wa.j OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 45 again employed in the delicate as well as unpleasant 1791 duty of aiding the civil power in the suppression of riot. . , ; . ; Major-General James Stuart was appointed from the 1792 half-pay of the Ninetieth regiment to the Colonelcy of the THIRTY -FIRST regiment on the 8th of February, 1792, in succession to Lieutenant-General Thomas Clarke, removed to the Thirtieth regiment. On the 17th of April, 1792, the thirty-first regi- ment embarked at Port-Patrick for Ireland. Colonel Henry Lord Mulgrave, from the Grenadier 1793 Guards, was appointed Colonel of the thiuty-first regiment on the 8th of February, 1 793, in succession to Major-General James Stuart, deceased. His Lord- ship subsequently assumed the command of the regiment at Waterford, as its Colonel ; and, after inspecting the corps in the field, entertained the officers at dinner. Meanwhile, Louis XVL had been decapitated, and the progress of democracy menaced Europe with uni- versal anarchy. On the 1st of February the National Convention of France declared war against Great Britain and Holland, and the British Government prepared for hostilities. A large army was sent, under the command of the Duke of York, to join the Aus- trian and Prussian allies. Several engagements oc- curred, and the French gained possession of the Austrian Netherlands. Holland opened her principal towns to the enemy, and they were garrisoned by French troops. In September, 1793, the flank companies of the THiRTY-FiKST regiment embarked for Barbadoes, for ::ll^' 1JI . iJ, id ''H- 1.1 ■|l-:ij 46 HISTORICAL RECOltD OF THE THIRTY-FIH8T, 1793 the purpose of taking part in the capture of the French West India Islands. 1794 In the beginning of 1794 an armament was assembled at Barbadocs, of which the Jlank companies of the THIRTY-FIRST formed part, and early in February the expedition, under Admiral Sir John Jervis and General Sir Charles (afterwards Earl) Grey, sailed for Mar- tinique. After some sharp fighting the island was taken possession of by General Sir Charles Grey, on the ^'ind of March.* From Martinique the grenadiers, under Prince Ed- ward (afterwards Duke of Kent), the light infantry, under Major-General Dundas, and three other regi- ments, embarked on the 30th of March for St. Lucia, where they arrived on the 1st of April, and the con-' quest of that island was effected in three days ; His Royal Highness Prince Edward, with his brigade of grenadiers, and Major- General Dundas,with his brigade of light infantry, taking possession of St. Lucia on the 4th of April. The flank companies of the thirty- first regiment were afterwards employed in the re- duction of the island of Guadaloupe. A d- lined resistance was made by the enemy ; but the ibin^id was captured by the 20th of April. France did not view with indifference the loss of these valuable possessions, and in .Tune a French arma- ment arrived at Guadaloupe for the recovery of that island. The light company, under Brevet Lieut.- Colonel Andrew Ross, highly distinguished itself on the * Martinique was captured by the English in 1762, but was restored to France at the Peace of Foutainebleau in 1 703. I > t:'\ OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 47 night of the 13th of June, in attacking the enemy near 1794 Point-a-Petre. General Sir Charles Grey stated in his despatch,' — " Brevet- Major Ross,* of the thirty-first regiment, " who was with the light infantry, behaved with great " gallantry and good conduct on this occasion, as he has "done on every other." The light company also participated in a night attack on Fort Fleur d'Eph between the 25th and 26th of June ; on the day following, Brigadier-General Symes, with the grenadiers and light infantry, attacked the enemy, who was driven to Mornc Mascot, where he again made resistance, but being charged with the bayonet, he fled into Fort Fleur d'Epee. Lieut.-Colonel Ross, of the thirty- first, commanded the second battalion of light infantry on these occa- sions. Lieut.-Colonel Colin Orah£.iii, of the Twenty-first Royal North British Fusiliers, was appointed to the command of the troops in Basse Terre, and he defended BerviUe camp with the utmost gallantry until the 6th of October, when he was forced to surrender, — his force having become reduced by excessive exertion, and the unhealthiness of the climate, to one hundred and twenty-five rank and file fit for duty. The troops at Guadaloupe suffered severely from the climate, and the arduous duties they had to perform. * Promoted to the brevet rank of Lieut.-Colonel on the Ist of March, 1794. m ifi I, ; * ' ' ■ i 1 I ■ Ji n i!i; «! ' if,'' > :.li 48 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1794 and could only muster 389 soldiers fit for duty on the 1st of September.* By the articles of capitulation the British troops were to march out with the honors of war, and it was agreed to send the garrison to England on board French ships, as soon as transports were ready. The latter part of the agreement was not, however, com- plied with, as they remained prisoners for more than a year afterwards, during which time many of them died. The garrison consisted of the flank companies of the 17th, 31st, and 34th regiments; the 39th, 43rd, 56th (three companies), and 65th regiments. Their loss in the different actions between the 27th of Sep- tember and the 6th of October amounted to two officers killed and five wounded ; twenty-five non- commissioned officers and privates killed, and fifty-one wounded. During the year 1794 Lieutenants Davies, Mackenzie, * Return of the Troops at Quadahupa on the Itt of September, 1794. Rank and File. Corps. Fit for Duty. Sick. Total. Grenadier Battalion . . , Light Infantry Battalion . 35th Regiment . . . < 39th Ditto ..*... 152 33 47 34 23 67 43 208 382 . 116 284 176 209 360 415 163 308 199 67 252 43rd Ditto . • . . 56th Ditto, three companies . 65th Ditto General Total • 1 • 389 1375 1764 The Ortnadier and Light Infantry battalions were composed of the flank companies of the 8th, 12th, 17th, 31st, 33rd, 34th, 38th, 40th, 44th, and 55th Regiments. ji'-i ■Jb OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 49 and Williams, of the thibty-first regiment, died of 1794 fever contracted in the West Indies. The whole island of Guadaloupe, with the exception of Fort Matilda, had been re-captured by the French : this fort was defended by the troops under Lieut.- Gcneral Prescott until the lOth of December, when it was evacuated by the British. On the 12th of July, 1794, the thirty-first regiment embarked at Wexford for England, disem- barked at Bristol, and marched thence to Southampton. The regiment, on the 25th of July, 1794, was augmented to ten battalion and two flank companies ; and en the 17th of August following embarked for Holland, where it was stationed at Middleburg and Flushing, in the island of Walcheren, but was not employed on any particular duty. In this year the regiment returned to England, and 1795 landed at Plymouth on the 27th of February, 1795. A camp was formed in the month of August, at Nursling, near Southampton, which the thirty-first regiment joined on the 25th of that month, and re- ceived a reinforcement to its strength in drafts from the 43rd, 88th, 92nd, and 94th regiments, which raised its establishment to 1000 rank and file, with a second lieutenant-colonel, a major, and one additional lieu- tenant to each company, besides two recruiting companies. On the 25th of October, 1795, the thirty-first regiment embarked for the West Indies, as part of the armament which had been prepared for the deliverance of the French West India Islands from the power of republicanism, and to reduce to obedience the insur- gents of St. Vincent and Grenada. The expedi- ! \U\ 1!' '! 1 ■!i' ]S: 50 IlISTOniCAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 11 '■ :l :(' I , )195tion, commanded by Licut.-Gcncral Sir Ralph Aber- cromby, sailed with the immense fleet, under the convoy of a squadron of the Royal Navy, commanded by Rear- Admiral Sir Hugh Christian. The troops amounted to about 25,000 men, in the highest state of equipment; and the a mament on quitting the British shores presented a magnificent spectacle, calculated to impress the mind with a just idea of the power of England; but it unfortunately happened that the voyage had been delayed until a very late period of the year ; three attempts were made to get under weigh, and each was prevented b^ the violence of the weather: many ships were driven from their anchors and stranded. Three hundred sail got under weigh on the 11th of November, when an accident to the Admiral rendered the attempt of no avail. On the 15th another en- deavour was overcome by the tempestuous weather. At length the fleet sailed, but it had scarcely got clear of the Isle of Wight, when another severe storm obliged the vessels that had ridden through it with safety to return to Portsmouth. With great difficulty and exertion Admiral Christian collected the remainder of his convoy, and again sailed on the 9th of December, but four days afterwards a storm destroyed many of the transports, and so scat- tered the fleet as to render a re-union impossible. 1796 Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby sailed in the * Arethusa " frigate, with such vessels as could be collected, and on the 14th of March, 1796, arrived at Barbadocs. The THiRTY-FittsT regiment, having weathered the storm, which had dispersed the fleet in the Channel, ^|i :\t OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 51 proceeded on the voyage, but was unable to make good 1796 the passage, and on the 5th of February, 1796, after being six weeks at sea struggling against the violent tempests, the regiment was landed at Gosport, whence it inarched to Poole, in Dorsetshire ; the regiment was not long inactive, as on the 19th of March it was again on board ship at Southampton, and proceeded to its original destination. On the 1st of May the thirty-first arrived oft' the island of St. Lucia, on which Licut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby had already effected a landing. The regiment disembarked immediately, under the command of Lieut.-Coloncl Hay, and was cantoned near the point of disembarkation at Choc Bay. The fortress of Morne Fortun4e was invested by Lieut.- General Sir Ralph Abcrcromby ; Morne Chabot, another strong position, having been carried with great gal- lantry by Brigadier- General (afterwards Sir John) Moore. The batteries against Morne Fortunee were opened on the 14th of May, and on the night of the 17th the strong outpost of La Vigie was assaulted. The thirty- first regiment marched from its position, near Choc Bay, at sunset, for the purpose of a night-attack upon this post, which was remarkably strong. It formed a peninsula, accessible only by a narrow isthmus, and commanded the entrance on one side of the Carenage harbour. The post was defended by two batteries ; the first placed midway upon the acclivity, and the second on the summit of the height. The approaches to both were by a circuitous path, and the guide who accompanied the regiment was mortally wounded by E 2 1^1 N,:' I . |, .; I ''I I' I Ki 5-2 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 179G the first fire from the enemy's piquet stationed on the isthmus. The regiment, being ignorant of the country, missed the proper direction. Lieut.-Colonol Hay ordered it to ascend the hill enforce^ which was done, although attended with great difficulty from the pre- cipitous nature of the ground. The first battery wak gallantly carried by storm, and the enemy retired to the higher one. The regiment was unfortunately separated in the ascent, and was unable to make a concentrated and effectual attack upon the works that crowned the height, which it nevertheless, in spite of all obstacles, bravely attempted, but the enemy's grape- shot took such effect that the regiment was obliged to withdraw, after a severe struggle. The THIRTY-FIRST had Captains Johnson and Walkdr, four Serjeants, and eighty rank and file hilled; Lieut.- Colonels Hay and Arbuthnot, Captains Murray and Sorrell, Lieutenants Sullivan and Hawkshaw, four Serjeants, and one hundred and twenty one rank and file wounded. On the 25th of May the island of St. Lucia capi- tulated, and the thirty-first, forty-fourth, forty- eighth, and fifty-fifth regiments, under Brigadier- General Moore, were selected to occupy the place. The possession of the island was not a quiet one ; small bodies of French, who had deserted from the different fortresses at their capitulation, withdrew into the interior, and joined the runaway slaves and Caribs ; taking advantage of the impenetrable nature of the country, they formed themselves into bands for the purpose of molesting the British, and plundering the planters and other residents of the island. Brigadier- OR IIUNTINODONIIIIRB RBGIMENT OF FOOT. r)3 Oonoral Mooro took the field, and penetrated with his 1796 furcu into the wildoMt ({uarturM of the mountains, in order to eradicate these predatory bands. The THiKTY-FiRKT WAS employed on this harassing duty, and suffered much from fatigue, privation, and continual exposure; on the service being concluded, the regiment went into ({uartors at Vieux Fort, and other poHts, when it became so unhealthy that tho authorities were compelled to remove the corps from tho island. Tho deaths among the men were for a time sixteen each day ; on the embarkation of tho regi- ment, on the 22nd of December, for Barbadoes, it had scarcely a soldier fit for duty ; and on its disem- barkation there, six days afterwards, it became necessary to send the entire regiment into hospital, which was tho tecmd \imo the thirty-first had been rendered unserviceable from sickness, tho corps having suffered in a similar manner while stationed in Florida in tho year 1765. During tho year 1706 tho regiment had lost seven- teen officers, and eight hundred and seventy men, including thoso who foil in tho attack of La Vigie^ in St. Lucia. In the previous year Prussia had concluded a peace with the French republic, and, in consequence of the United Provinces of Holland having leagued with Franco, England had taken possession of the Cape of Good Hope; in February, 1796, the island of Ceylon was also captured from the Dutch by Oreat Britain. The former allies of England now became converted into enemies. War was declared by Holland, which had been constituted tho Batavian republic, against Great Britain in May, and Spain followed the example r;f ; f li ' f 1 i 1 .. L M HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1796 in October. In the same month Lord Malmshury was sent to Paris to negotiate a peace on the part of the British Government, but the French insisted upon retaining, as integral parts of the republic, the conquests lately made : these terms could not be acceded to con- sistently with the general interests of Europe, and the negotiation was discontinued. 1 797 On the 1 4th of February, 1 797, the combined fleets of France and Spain were defeated off Cape St. Vincent, by Admiral Sir John Jervis, afterwards created Earl St. Vincent, on account of this glorious victory, for which the honor of knighthood was also conferred on Commodore (afterwards Admiral Viscount) Nelson. On the 1 8th of February the Spanish island of Trinidad surrendered to a British force under Lieut.-Ooncr^l Sir Ralph Abcrcromby. In April, 1 797, Austria signed the preliminaries of peace with the French Republic, and, in July, Lord Malmesbury was sent a second time to negotiate a treaty, but the demands of the French Directory rendered the attempt abortive. In the year 1797 the thirty-first regiment, greatly reduced in numbers, embarked for England, and landed at Gravcsend in July ; it mustered only eighty-Jive men, including Serjeants, drummers, and rank and file. Shortly after disembarkation the regiment marched to Doncastcr, and remained at stations between that place, Hull, and York, for the two following years. In this year alarming mutinies occurred on board the fleet at Spithead and the Nore, but the British seamen nobly redeemed their character on the 1 Ith of October, 1797, in the victory gained by Admiral Duncan (who was in consequence created Viscount Duncan), over the OR IIUNTINGDONHIIIRE HEOIMENT OF FOOT. ri^) Dutch fleet, off Cam|)ordown, which was procecdinj? 1797 to join that of the French at Brest. On the 17th of October the definitive treaty of ])eaco between Austria and the French republic was signed at Campo Formio, so that Great Britain was left to continue the contest single-handed with France and her allies. The threat of invasion, renewed by Franco, called 1798 forth the patriotic feelings of the British nation ; the militia force was increased, and volunteer corps were tbnned in every part of the kingdom. * Napoleon Bonaparte, against whose legions in the Peninsula, in subsequent years, the THiRTY-FinsT regi- ment acquired great renown, was now rising step by step to that Imperial sway which he afterwards at- tained. The French Directory, jealous of his ambition, sent him on the expedition to Egypt, with the view of acting from that country against the British empire in India. Napoleon took Alexandria by storm, and soon established himself at Cairo. The Sublime Porte, in- censed by the invasion of Egypt, declared war against France, and formed an alliance with Russia. The fleet, which had conveyed the expedition to Egypt, was almost destroyed by Admiral Nelson in Ahoukir Bay on the 1st of August. So large a portion of the French army being thus secluded in a distant land, gave fresh impulse to the Allies, and in November the island of Minorca surrendered to the British arms. In Decem- ber the co-oi)cration of Russia against France was secured by Great Britain. At this period of the war the soldiers of the English 1799 militia regiments were permitted to extend their services to the regular army ; — the thirty -first rcgi- M ! ' I II ' i . n iMi. 56 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1799 mont received eight hundred and fifty-three volunteers from the militia. In March, 1799, war was declared by the French Directory against Austria, and the combined Austrian and Russian armies were so successful as to recover the greater portion of Italy. In August, 1799, a corresponding attempt was made by Great Britain to recover Holland from the dominion of Franco, and a numerous army was selected to pro- ceed to that country, under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, Previously to the arrival of the D\ike of York, the army was commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B., with the local rank of General. The THiKTV-FiRST regiment marched to Deal, em- barked for Holland on the 8th of September, and arrived at the Holder on the 15th of the same month. The TUiKTY'FiRST and other regiments were embarked after the departure of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, in order to reinforce his army. The Duke of York, having preceded these additional troops by two days, was already in command of the army, which was intrenched in the advance of the Helder on the Zuype, in which lines Sir Ralph Abercromby had, on the 10th of Sep- tember, near the village of Crabbendam, repulsed the attack of the French and Dutch under General Brunc. Immediately on landing, the thirty-first marched to the lines, and joined Major-General the Earl of Chatham's brigade, in the division of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, un the 15th of September. Tho Duke of York, having been reinforced by the expected arrival of a corps of twelve thousand Russians, under Lieut-General Hermann, resolved on attacking OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 57 the French position in advance of Alkmaary reaching 1799 from Zuyder-Zee on the right, to Camperdown on the left, and embracing the town of Bergen. The attack was made on the 19th of September, in four columns : the right, formed entirely of Russians, under Lieut.-General Hermann, moved on Bergen ; the centre divisions, under Lieut.-General Dundas and Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney, forced the village and post of Oude Carspel, on the road to Alkmaar; while the left column, in which was the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, under Genetal Sir Ralph Abercromby, advanced to the capture of Hoome. The point of attack selected for Sir Ralph Aber- cromby's division being at a consid'^rable distance beyond the extent of the line, tht thirty-first, and other regiments, marched at eight o'clock on the night of the 18th of September, and the move- ment was performed with such skill and secrecy, that Hoome was surprised and carried on the following morning without loss, which placed the French position in considerable peril. The Russians having failed in holding Bergen, after having entered it in gallant style, rendered it impossible for the centre division to continue in possession of the posts it had acquired. The British troops were therefore withdrawn to their former lines upon the Zuype, to which the Russians had retreated. Hoome was evacuated, and the thirty- first, with the other regiments oi Sir Ralph Aber- cromby 's division, returned on the night of the 19th of September to the ground they had quitted on the former evening. From the 20th of September until the 1st of October, both armies remained within their intrench- 58 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, ' * ■'•ii I i t'iiy !• 1799 ments, strengthening their lines of defence ; the French had received reinforcements, and had inundated a large tract of country on their right by cutting the sluices, thus contracting the ground of operations to six or seven miles. The Duke of York, on the 2nd of October, made another attack on the French position between Bergen and Egmont-op-Zee. The combined attacks were made in four columns ; the division under General Sir Ralph Abercromby, being on the right, marched along the beach. The left of the French army was posted and concentrated about Bergen, a large village surrounded by extensive woods, through which passed the great road leading to Haarlem; between which and the sea was an extensive region of high sand-hills impassable for artillery. Behind the sand-hills, and to the enemy's right, through the whole extent of North Holland, lies a wet and low country, intersected with dykes, canals, and ditches. The French centre was supported by the town of Alkmaar. The battle soon became serious in front of Bergen, upon which Lieut.- General Dundas had been ordered to proceed. Meanwhile Sir Ralph Abercromby had passed Bergen in order to turn the position of the French at Alkmaar, and overcame every opposition until he reached Egmont-op-Zee, which post was occupied in great numbers, and gallantly defended. Sir Ralph Abercromby, however, here overthrew a corps of the Frcn Ji army, and wheeling his division to the left, turned the enemy's position at Bergen, upon which General Brune, the commander-in-chief of the French and Batavian army, fell back, taking up an equally strong position at a short distance to the rear. OR HUNTINGCONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 59 The THIRTY-FIRST xk^ iiit had an opportunity of 1799 distinguishing itself particularly throughout this arduous contest, which lasted from six in the morning until the same hour in the evening. In the attack of Bergen, the regiment took two pieces of artillery from the enemy ; the corps on the right frequently charged with the bayonet, and lost a great number of men. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment had one serjeant and twenty-seven rank and file killed; Captain Smith, Ensign King, and fifty-five rank and file wounded. During the night of the 2nd of October, Bergen and Egmont-op-Zee were evacuated by the enemy. The army remained during the night on the ground it held at the close of the battle, and on the 3rd of October Alkmaar was occupied by detachments of British troops. On the 6th of October, the advanced posts in front of Alkmaar, Egmont-op-Hooff, and Egmont-op-Zee, were pushed forward, preparatory to a general forward movement. At first little opposition was shown, and the British took possession of some villages, and of a position on the sand-hills near Wyck- op-Zee ; but the column of Russian troops, under the command of Major-General D'Essen, in endeavouring to gain a height in front of their intended advanced post at Baccum, was vigorously opposed, and after- wards attacked by a strong body of the enemy. This movement obliged General Sir Ralph Aber- cromby to move up in support with the reserve of his corps ; the French advanced their whole force ; the action became general along the whole line from Limmen to the sea, and was maintained with great obstinacy on both sides until night, when the enemy retired, leaving the British masters of the field of battle. I, " 'r , ■' ri '! li 60 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1799 The thirty-first regiment, on the 6th of October, had Lieutenant Forstcr, one serjeant, and thirty- five rank and file killed; Captain Pickering, Lieu- tenants MuUins, Walker, Ball, Ensigns Williams and Johnson, three Serjeants, and eighty-four rank and file uxmnded. In the meantime the French army had been rein- forced ; the state of the weather, the ruined condition of the roads, the total want of the necessary sup- plies, offered great obstacles ; besides which, the efforts which had been made for the liberation of Holland were not seconded by the Dutch people, so that it was determined to withdrg,w the British army. A conven- tion was ultimately concluded with General Brune at Alkmaar, on the 18th of October. On the I6th of November the thirty-first regiment embarked at the Texel, and landed at Deal three days afterwards, when it marched immediately to Canter- bury, where the effects of the Dutch campaign began to be perceptible. Before the army left Holland dysentery had broken out among the men, arising from their exposure to the damp and fogs natural to the country, The thirty-first lost a great number of men, from this cause, while stationed at Canterbury. 1800 ^^ *^G 15th of May, 1800, the thirty-first regi- ment embarked at Dover for Ireland, landed at Cove on the 6th of June, and marched directly to Cork, where a force was collecting for a secret service, to which it was added. On the 27th of June the embarkation took place, and on the 8th of July the armament reached the Bay of Quiberon ; the twenty-third, thirty- fikst, fifty-second, and sixty-third regiments landed on the Isle de Houat, where they remained encamped. OR RUNTINODON8HIRB REGIMENT OF FOOT. 61 under the command of Brigadier-General the Honor- 1800 able Thomas Maitland, until the 19th of Ai^gust, when they again embarked and joined the expedition under Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney, destined for the coast of Spain. A landing was effected at Ferrol on the 25th of August ; the troops advanced to the heights which overlook the town, and the thirty- first had some skirmishing with the enemy's piquets. After viewing the town and its defences. Sir James Pulteney abandoned the idea of attacking the place ; the troops were re-embarked on the following morning, and the fleet sailed for Vigo, where it arrived on the 27th of August. Here General Sir Ralph Aber- cromby joined with other troops, and assumed the command of the whole force. After remaining in Vigo Bay for some time, the fleet sailed for Cadiz, where it arrived on the 3rd of October. Sir Ralph Abercromby summoned the Governor to surrender, but an epidemic fever was raging in the city, and the fleet quitted the coast for fear of infection, and proceeded to Gibraltar. At this period General Sir Ralph Abercromby received orders from the British Government to proceed to Egypt; but the three battalions of the ninth foot, the second battalion of the twenty-seventh, the THIRTY-FIRST, and two battalions of the fifty ^second regiment, being composed principally of volunteers from the militia, whose conditions of enlistment limited thsir services to time and place, were not available for the expedition to Egypt : they were accordingly ordered to proceed to Lisbon, where they arrived on the 27th of November, having suffered much from confinement on board ship, and the use of salt provisions. On the 27th of January, 1801, the thirty-first was 1801 62 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1801 again at sea, and on the 14th of February disembarked at Minorca, which had surrendered to Great Britain in November, 1798 ; this island was restored to Spain at the Peace of 1802. 1802 The successes of the British arms in Kgypt, by which the French were expelled from that country, were followed by a Treaty of Peace, which was signed on the 27th of March, 1802, at Amiens, between the French Republic, Spain, and the Batavian Republic, on the one part, and Great Britain on the other. The principal features of the treaty were, that Great Britain restored all her conquests during the war, excepting Trinidad and Ceylon, which were ceded to her, the former by Spain, and the latter by the Batavian Republic. Portugal was maintained in its integrity, excepting that some of its possessions in Guiana were ceded to France. The territories of the Ottoman Porte were likewise maintained in their integrity. The Ionian Republic was recognised, and Malta was to be restored to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. The French agreed to evacuate the Neapolitan and Roman states, and Great Britain all the ports that she held in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean. In May, 1802, the thirty-first regiment sailed from Minorca for England, and early in June landed at Portsmouth, on the 19th of which month it was reduced to the Peace Establishment. 1803 In the year 1803 the regiment was removed to Jersey.* * While stationed at Jersey, a soldier of the thibty-fibbt regiment displayed the following example of courage and presence of mind : — On the 4th of June, 1804, a salute had been fired in honor of the anni- versary of the birthday of King George III. The bombardier, whose I I m OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 63 Napoleon Bonaparte was now approaching the zenith 1803 of his power : the unsettled state of affairs in France had induced him to quit his army in Egypt, and on his return the Directory was abolished, Bonaparte being appointed First Consul of the French Republic. This occurred in 1799, and in the following year Europe was astounded by his daring passage of the Alps, followed by the victory of Marengo, which caused Austria to sue for peace. The French being driven from Egypt in 1801 by the gallant Abercromby and his brave troops, in which the THIRTY-FIRST regiment would probably have shai'ed, had it not been for the circumstances stated at page 61, the Peace of Amiens was concluded ; it, however, gave but a slight interval of tranquillity to Europe. The military spirit of the French nation had been aroused by the genius of Napoleon, who endeavoured to realize his schemes for the aggrandizement of France; — and England appeared as a barrier to his designs. duty it was to deposit the slow match in the magazine on the Town Hill at St. Heliers, after the performance of the ceremony, neglected to observe whether it was extinguished ; it unfortunately ^n as still alight, and set fire to the building ; there were within the place three hundred and twenty-five barrels of powder, and, from its central situation, an ex- plosion would have destroyed the greater portion of the town. Private William Pentenny, of the thirty-first regiment, assisted by two inhabitants of Jersey, broke open the magazine, when another moment's delay would probably have been too late, the fire having nearly reached the spot where the powder was deposited, when he entered. With infinite coolness and decision, he carried the nearest barrels away in his arras, and continued so to act until the whole stock was removed out of danger. This important service was highly appreciated. The Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's awarded Private William Pentenny a pension of 20/. a year, while the states of Jersey conferred an additional 12/. upon this deserving soldier, and presented to liim a gold medal, struck on purpose to commemorate the achievement, which he was permitted to wear. The Governor, Major-General the Honorable William Stewart, ordered a ring of silver lace to be worn ronnd his arm as a further distinction. I , :!;.j, f '■ 1 '•y Z:A It- I 64 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1803 In May, 1803, the war was renewed ; Hanover was overrun by the French, and severed for a time from the British Crown. An immense flotilla was also assembled at Boulogne for the invasion of England. The threat of invasion aroused the patriotism of the British people, and the most strenuous measures were pursued to defeat the French ruler's designs; the "Army of Reserve Act** was passed in June, 1803, for raising men for home service by ballot; numerous volunteer and yeomanry corps were formed in every part of the kingdom ; and all party differences merged into one universal effort for the preservation of Great Britain. 1804 On the 18th of May, 1804, Napoleon was invested with the dignity of Emperor of the French^ and on the ; 26th of May of the following year he was crowned Kinff of Italy at Milan. Further measures of defence were adopted by Great Britain, and the "^ ditional Force Act " was passed on the 14th of July, 1804, by which a second battalion was added to the thirty-first regiment, to be formed of men raised in the county of Chester, for limited service. The regiment embarked at Jersey for England on the 9th of November, and on the 27th of that month arrived at Portsmouth, whence it marched to Win- chester, and received a further number of volunteers from the Militia. On the 12th of December the Court of Spain issued a declaration of war against England, in consequence of the capture of some frigates off Cadiz, which had been intercepted while on their way to France with cargoes of treasure, — Spain having agreed to furnish a powerful aid to Napoleon. OR UUWTINODONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. fl5 By July, 1805, the second battalion was fully em- 1805 Iwdied, and in October proceeded from Chester to Winchester, where the first battalion was stationed. While the French wore pursuing their victorious career in Germany, they experienced dreadful reverses from the navy of Great Britain. On the 2l8t of October the combined fleets of France and Spain were completely defeated off Cape Trafalgar. The victory was, however, clouded by the death of Admiral Viscount Nelson, to whose memory the highest honors were paid by a grateful and admiring nation. On the 9th of January, 1806, the thirtv-first regi* 18(M5 merit was present at the funeral of Admiral Viscount Nelson, and formed part of the line betweei. which the procession passed on its way to St. Paul's Cathedral, in which the Admiral's remains were interred, and where a monument was erected by order of Parliament. In November of the preceding year a squadron of English and Russian vessels landed some troops at Naples without any opposition from the Neapolitan Court. The French Emperor, on receiving intelli- gence of this transaction, issued a proclamation that "the Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reigny'' and an army, under his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, assisted by Marshal Massena, marched for Naples. On the 15th of February the French entered that capital, and soon obtained possession of the whole kingdom, except- ing Gaeta ; Ferdinand IV. and liis Court having pre- viously retired to Sicily. A decree was shortly issued by Napoleon, conferring the crown of Naples on his brother Joseph, who was proclaimed King on the 30th of May. England lieing desirous of preserving Sicily from the dominion of France, troops were embarked for that 66 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, ii ■■•i.K "( ' ! rlr: 'i H ■ ,■: : i 1.1. t f .! i i i;" ' 1- I. i ' 'V '.\ '■ '■'' " I' ' ■ ' 1H06 island;— on the 2(jth of April the Jlrst ftattalion of tht! THiRTY-nusT rcgimcnt embarked at Tilbury-fort, and landed at Messina on the 26th of July. Previously to the arrival of the iHiRTY-i-'iRgT regiment, the French had assembled a force in Cala- bria for the invasion of Sicily, and Major-Goncral Stuart, commanding the British troops in that island, formed the design of cutting off the French division under General Regnier ; the result was the battle of Maida, where a victory was gained by the British troops on the 4th of July. Major-General Stuart being sensible that he could not, with his small force, maintain himself in Calabria, rccrosscd the straits of Messina and returned to Sicily. For this victory Major-General John Stuart received the dignity of Knight of the Bath, the thanks of Parliament, and was created Count of Maida by the King of the Two Sicilies. 1807 Admiral Sir John Duckworth having failed in his coercive mission to detach Turkey from the interests of France, Great Britain determined to seize upon Egy])t, as a check to any fresh demonstration by the French against the British possessions in the East Indies. An armament accordingly sailed from Melazzo, on the coast of Sicily, in February, 1807, under the command of Major - General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser, Colonel of the seventy- eighth regiment, and landed at Aboukir on the 18th of March. On the 21st of March, Alexandria was occupied by the British troops, and it is a singular coincidence that it was the anniversary of the battle fought near there in the year 1801, when the gallant General Sir Ralph Abercromby received the wound which terminated his honorable career. OR IIUNTINODONmiinR IlKOIMKNT OF FOOT. 67 On the 27th of March a force of fifteen hundred 1807 men, of which the thiiity-first regiment foi-mcd part, won detached under the command of Major- General Wauc'hopo to KotMitta. The troops arrived before the city on the 3lMt of March, and not having been im- [)cded in thoir progroM to the environs, entered the place. The THiUTv-FiRfiT regiment marched into Ro- sctta, while the grenadier battalion occupied a high sandy mound without the city. llosetta is situated upon a slight eminence, com- manding a view of the river Nile and the fertile lands uf the Delta ; the streets are somewhat wider than the f^encrality of Egyptian towns, and planted here and there with trees. The houses are high, the lower half of each being a dead wall, with a small door, leading into a narrow passage, well secured with bolts and bars of iron. The chambers are above, with trelliced windows projecting over the streets. The Turks had garrisoned their houses, and remaining quiet, allowed the British to continue their march until some way into the town, when through the loop-holes they had constructed on purpose, and their trelliced windows, a destructive and unexpected fire was opened u])on the column. I'he troops, although placed in a most trying and perilous situation, behaved extremely well, and after having sutfered very materially in killed and wounded, retired to Aboukir, from whence they returned to Alexandria. Major- General Wauchopc, who commanded the force, was killed ; the TiimTY-FinsT regiment had Captain John Robertson, three Serjeants, three drum- mers, and sixty-nine rank and file killed; Captain Patrick Dowdall, Lieutenants Edward Knox, Peter Fearon, John Thornton, — Sladden, and Francis Ryan, f2 I: I if- r 1' i ■:■ ■■■ |i .1 ;l 08 HISTORICAL RECOUD OP THE TIIIRTY-FIRHT, 1807 Ensign lliclmrd Klrl»y, Hcvcn scrjcantft, ono ilrummor, and one hundred and twenty-nine rank nnd fdc noundeil. Lieutenant Sladden 8ub8e(|ucntly died of his wounds. Brigadier-General the Honorable Robert Meado (liicutenant-Colonel of the thirty-first), the second in command, was also severely wounded. Major- General FiiiHcr finding that a famine would be the consequence of the British remaining at Alex- andria, without the occupation of Rosetta, detached another body of troops, amounting to two thousand five hundred men, under Brigadier- General the Honor- able William Stewart, to reduce the place. The force consisted of a detachment of Royal Artillery, a de- tachment of the twentieth liyht dragoons, light infantry battalion, first battalion of the thirty-fifth regiment, second battalion of the seventy-eighth regiment, the Baron De Roll's regiment, and a detachment of seamen. A large Turkish force coming down the Nile from Cairo, the troo])s were compelled to retire, fighting all the way to Alexandria. A formidable force now approached Alexandria, and Major-General Fraser sent a Hag of truce offering to evacuate Egypt, on condition that the British prisoners should be liberated. The proposal was readily accepted, and on the 19th of September the British troops embarked for Sicily, where they arrived on the IGth of October. The first battalion of the thirty-first regiment 1808 ,p .0] n~ embarked from Sicily for Malta, on the 1 7ta tember, 1808, where it remained until Au'^.asf, i >;C. when it returned to Sicily. 1810 On the 17th of August, 1810, the first battalion lai: V .^ina; a few months afterwards the liuud-< I aan«rs wee ordered back to Sicily, and on the VHth ol /lu^ust joined the detached companies, when the battalion was once more united in Sicily. About this period the British authorities in Sicily 1812 detected the traces of a conspiracy set on foot the year before by the Queen of Naples, who, it is said, had l)ro].)08ed a scheme to Najraleon for massacring the I'lnglish. A new constitution was established in Sicily, upon the model of that of Great Britain^ under the auspices of Lieut. -General Lord William Bentinck, who had been appointed Captain-General uf the Island, and the Queen was sent into retirement. In November, 1812, the grenadier company of the ruiRTY-FiRST rcgimont embarked from Sicily for the cast coast of Spain, under Licut.-Gcneral Frederick Maitland, and landed at Alicant on the 2nd of December. In April, 1813, it returned to Sicily, where it arrived in May. The first battalion of the thirty-first regiment 1813 remained in garrison in the citadel of Messina until towards the end of 1813, when, in consequence of dis- turbances at Palermo, the capital of Sicily, which threatened to spread, the troops were detached to 'U' 70 UlSTOniCAL llECORD OF THE THIRTY- FIRST, '■,r- '■ :. 1. 1813 various central positions. The thirty-first, by a detour, marched upon Castro Giovanni, and remained there until January, 1814, when the battalion returned to Mc8»ina. 1H14 On the 28th of March, 1814, the battalion embarked at Molazzo. as part of an expedition aestined for the shores of Italy, under Lieut.-General Lord William Bcntinck. In the beginning of April the first division of the army arrived oflF the coast above and below the city of Genoa, and threatened a descent upon Voltri, rather to engage the attention of the enemy, however, in that quarter, than for any other purpose. On the 5th of April the second division of the Anglo- Sicilian army disembarked at Leghorn, and marched directly upon Scstri. The French reinforced that place to protect the coast batteries, and prevent the British communicating with the people of the mountains, who were ready to rise against the French. The two British divisions had united, and attacked the cnuniy, on the 8*h of April, at Scstri; the battle lasted throughout the day, and in the night the French General Ronger St. Victor retired towards Recco, takintjf up his position in rear of Rafallo, where he left his advanced guard ; a third British division, in which was the first battalion of the thirty-iirst, hovered about the coast, and made some attempts to land fresh troops, but was prevented by the enemy's detachments at Hccco. On the 9th and 10th of April the squadron can- nonaded Rccco, but was obliged to stand out again ; in the night of the 10th General Pegot, who had arrived to relieve General Ronger St. Victor, retired, and occupied, on the 1 1th of April, a position at Mount I I!'' |i ■ OR UUNTINQDONSUIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 71 Fascia. The English squadron and transports had all 1814 arrived before Genoa, and a detachment from the divisions on shore had been able to communicate with the native levies at Fontana Buoiia. On the 12th of April the position of Mount Fascia was attacked, and, after a hard day's contest^ General Pegot fell back in the night, and took up another strong position at La Siiirla, on the heights of Albaro, his right on the sea being covered by a battery of four pieces of artillery, and his left resting on P^ort Richelieu. The remainder of the British army disembarked at Nervi, and immediately attacked the enemy on the heights of Albaro, on the 13th of April. The THiRTV-FiRST, undcr the command of Colonel Bruce, belonged to this division, and, with the 8tli battalion of the Line of the King's German Legion, dashed in among the enemy the instant of their debarka- tion, notwithstanding the intersected and difficult na- ture of the ground, which assisted so materially the obstinate defence of the French. Meanwhile thi; light company of the thirty-first, under Captain Nunn, had carried the battery which covered the enemy's right, with conspicuous bravery, and dismounted the four guns upon it under a galling fire of musketry and artillery from another battery near that captured. The THIRTY-FIRST had Captains Stewart and Cruice* three scrjeants, one drummer, and thirty-six rank and file wounded; one serjcant and thirteen rank and file /ill led. The following extract from Division Orders, dated La Sturla, 14th of April, 1814, bears testimony to the conduct of the corps : — " The conduct of the troops in the long contested i:.v 72 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1814 " action of yesterday, at La Sturla, was most honorable " to them, and Major-General Montrcsor feels the " greatest satisfaction in doing justice to their merits, " by publicly declaring his high sense of their perse- " vering gallantry in surmounting the numberless " obstacles which the broken and intersected nature of " the country presented, in every step, to their advance, " whilst it afforded the best shelter to the enemy, who, " well accustomed to his ground, defended it with the " greatest obstinacy. " However justly entitled the whole may be to indi- " vidual distinction, it nevertheless would be unjust *' not to notice, in particular, the ardour and spirited " skill in which the Royal Flotilla, and the detachments " of the third Italian Levy, and of the second and " third extra regiments, and Royal Marines, began " the attack, and the very gallant manner in which " the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, and the 8th King's " German Legion, dashed in amongst the enemy after " their debarkation, and the conspicuous bravery of the " light company of the thirty-first regiment, in "carrying the battery on the left." During the 14th and 15th of April the attacks upon the heights of Albaro were repeated, and on the 17th, while disaffection among the |5eoplc was rapidly spreading in Genoa, the posts of St. Francisco and St. Martin d' Albaro were carried, and the French retired behind the Bizagno. By the 18th of April the disaffection in Genoa had reached a crisis, and upon the following day the advance upon the city took place. The thirty-first drove the enemy from a strong battery of ton brass guns and two IS^-inch brass mortars, without sustaining any loss. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 73 During the night of the 19th o^ April a convention 1814 was signed; on the morning of the 'ilst, the enemy inarched out of the city and evacuated all his posts. On the 22nd the head-quarters of the thirty-first were within the city of Genoa, when the Commander- in chief, Lieut.-General Lord William Eentinck, issued the order from which the following extract is taken : — " Ilcad-quartcrs, Genoa, 24th April, 1814. "The Commander of the Forces has much satis- faction in witnessing the zeal and gallantry evinced by the whole of the troops under his orders in the late operations, which have led to the possession of this important fortress ; and he has not failed to represent their conduct in the most favourable terms to His Majesty's government. " Major-General Montresor has particularly reported to him the great assistance he received from Briga- dier-General Roth, Colonel Bruce, and Licut.-Coloncl Travers. " The Commander of the Forces himself observed the very gallant and successful attack made by the third Italian regiment, under the orders of Lieut.- Colonel Ciravignac, and favourable rcj)orts have been made to him of the conduct of the light com- pany of the Twenty-first regiment, commanded by Captain Renny, the light company of the thirty- first, under Captain Nunn, and the light company of the second Estero regiment, under Captain-Lieu- tenant Fulghier." On the 27th of April the first battalion of the THiRTY-FiitST sailed with a force for the island of Corsica ; when the troops arrived opjjositc Ajaccio, I; lu 74 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1814 that place capitulated. The thirty-first regiment then sailed for Bastia (the birth-place of Napoleon), and landing there on the 1 1 th of May, remained until the 24th of June following, when it embarked for Sicily, and again went into garrison in the citadel of Messina, on the 18th of July, 1814. In the meantime the brilliant successes gained over the French in the Peninsula and South of France, by the troops under the Duke of Wellington, in which the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment bore a prominent part, led to a treaty of peace with France ; Napoleon retired to Elba, which island was ceded to him in full sovereignty for life, with a pension payable from the revenues of France ; and on the 3rd of May, 1814, Louis XVIII. entered Paris, and ascended the throne of his ancestors. On the 24th of October, 1814, the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment was disbanded at Ports- mouth, and the officers and men fit for service were transferred to the first battalion, with which they were incorporated on the 6th of May, 1815, at Messina. In commemoration of the services of the second bat- talion during the Peninsular War, the thirty-first regiment has received the Royal Authority to bear on the Regimental Colour and Appointments, the words " Talavkra," "Albuhera," " Vittoria," "Pyrenees," " NivELLE," " NivE," "Orthes," and "Peninsula." 1815 Although the first and second battalions of the thirty-first regiment were employed in different countries, yet they were engaged in the promotion of the same interests, namely, the restoration of the exiled families of the House of Bourbon to the thrones of their ancestors; the achievements of the second L OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE- REGIMENT OF FOOT. 75 battalion were in the most distinguished arena, but 1815 the first battalion, although it was stationed among the pastoral beauties of Sicily, and the luxurious towns of Italy, maintained its discipline and character, besides adding honors to those formerly acquired on the field of battle, whenever, as on the heights of Alharo, an opportunity had offered. The peace of Europe was again to be disturbed. The French army retained a chivalrous veneration for Napoleon, who returned from Elba, landed at Cannes, in Provence, on the 1st of March, 1815, and was joined by his former troops. Louis XVIII. withdrew from Paris to Ghent, and Napoleon assumed his former dignity of Emperor of the French. Marshal Murat. the brother-in-law of Napoleon, by whom in 1808 he had been made King of Naples, upon Joseph Bonaparte being constituted King of Spain, had, in January, 1814, signed a treaty with England, and engaged to co-operate with the allies against France. Napoleon's triumphal return to France caused Murat to espouse his cause, and he at once commenced hostilities against Austria, issuing a proclamation asserting the independence of Italy. Naples was thereupon invested by the Austrians, while an English squadron entered the port and acted in co-operation. The allied powers, however, refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of Napoleon, and determined on his dethronement. These events caused the thirty-first regiment to be embarked at Melazzo for Naples, where it arrived on the 25th of May. The city had capitulated to the British fleet, under Admiral Lord Exmouth, and the 1 v\ m 'is , 1! ,, 76 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1815 troops landed to hold possession until the restoration of order in the kingdom, and Ferdinand IV. should be reinstated on the throne of the Two Sicilies. After an exile of nine years, this sovereign entered his capital on the 17th of June; on the following day tile hopes of Bonaparte were crushed by his defeat on the memorable field of Waterloo, which victory triumphantly closed the campaign ; and on the 8th of July Louis XVIII. re-entered Paris, and the Bourbon government was restored. In the beginning of July the tiiirty-first had sailed from the Bay of Naples for Genoa, and re- mained there to support the arrangements for restoring the Sardinian dominions to their original state. Bonaparte was subsequently compelled to surrender himself a prisoner on the 15th of July to Captain Maitland, commanding the " Bellcrophon " ship of war, and the island of St. Helena was afterwards appointed for his residence. Murat's career was equally brief; he was driven from Italy, and withdrew to Corsica, from which island he made a rash descent on the coast of Calabria. After a sharp action he and his followers were taken prisoners. Murat was tried by a mi^ .ary commission, and shot on the 15th of October. J315 In February, 1816, the thirty-first regiment embarked for Malta, and remained in that island 1818 until June, 1818, when it proceeded to England, and landed at Deal on the 22nd of July. On the return of the regiment to England it was stationed at Dover Castle, Colchester, Chatham, and Shcerness. 1319 In August, 1819, in consequence of disturbances in OU IIUNTINODONSIIIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 77 the manufacturing districts, three companies of the 1819 THIRTY-FIRST regiment proceeded to Manchester, three to Macclesfield, and three to Stockport. On the 10th of the same month the regiment was employed in Manchester. An assemblage of people, estimated at forty to sixty thousand, took place on the 16th of August, in an open space in the town of Manchester, named St. Peter's Field, for the purpose of petitioning Parliament. Such meetings having been forbidden by proclamation some weeks previously, the militaiy were employed by the civil authorities in dispersing the crowd of persons who had entered the town, with banners, some of which were of a menacing nature. The troops of the garrison, the fifteenth hussars, the THIRTY-FIRST and eighty-cighth regiments, with the Chester and Manchester yeomanry cavalry, were ordered to be assembled in the vicinity, under the senior officer, Lieut.-Colonel L' Estrange, of the thirty-first regi- ment. The yeomanry wore engaged during part of the day in dispersing the multitude, many of whom received injuries, and eight or ten were killed. The regular troops behaved with their usual coolness and discipline, in the delicate and important duty they had to perform. The thanks of the Prince Regent, and of the Magistrates, were communicated to the troops in the following letters : — " Sir, «' Whitehall, 21st August, 1819. " I lost no time in laying before the Prince Regent "your letter to me of the 17th August, together " with the enclosure to yourself from Lieut.-Colonel " L'Estrange, and I have great satisfaction in obeying ' the commands of His Royal Highness, by requesting 'I'l tmi 78 ''i-t'l"' fl iur I HISTORICAL llECORD OP THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1819" that you will express to Lieut. -Colonel L'Estrangc, and to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, that served under his command at Manchester on the 16th of August, His lloyal Highness's high approbation of the exem])lary manner in which they assisted and supported the civil authorities of the County Palatine of Lancaster on that day. " I have, &c. (Signed) "Sidmouth." " New Bailey Court- House, August 17th, 1811). " The Magistrates of the two counties of Lancaster and Chester, assembled at Manchester, request Lieut.- Colonel L'Estrange will accept for himself, and convey to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates under his command, their best and sinccrest thanks, for the energy, tempered by the greatest humanity, displayed in their conduct yesterday, a conduct pecu- liarly characteristic of the British soldier. (Signed) "Wm. Hutton, Chairman^ 1 820 The disturbances among the manufacturing classes having subsided, the tiiikty-first regiment left Manchester on the 2nd of June, 1820. The troops had been much harassed throughout the winter, in conse- quence of the ill spirit which prevailed among the people of the surrounding districts, and on the removal of the regiment the municipal authorities of Manches- ter and Salford addressed a letter to Lieut-Colonel L'Estrange, expressing their regret at its departure, and their esteem for its conduct during the eventful period the corps was stationed in those towns. On the 10th of June, 1820, the regiment arrived at Sunderland. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 79 In February, 1821, the regiment marched from ^^21 Sunderland to Port Patrir'c, in Scotland, whence, on the 7th of March, it embarked for Donaghadee, and on the following morning proceeded to Belfast. While quartered in this town, the establishment was reduced from ten companies of sixty-five rank and file, to eight companies of seventy-two rank and file each. During the period the head-quarters remained at Belfast, detachments of the regiment were stationed in Colcrainc, Downpatrick, and Carrickfergus, where they \*'erc employed on the revenue and other duties gene- rally required from the army in Ireland. In April, 1822, the regiment was removed from 1822 Belfast and its neighbourhood, occupying fresh quar- ters at Armagh, Newry, and Dundalk. The regiment, in October 1823, marched from Armagh 1823 to Naas, and in January, 1824, proceeded to Dublin, 1824 where it occupied Richmond barracks. In the year 1824 the regiment received orders to prepare for foreign service : — the island of Ceylon was, in the first instance, selected as its destination, but it was eventually changed to Bengal. On the 20th of July the left wing of the thirty-first regiment marched to Kingstown, and embarked on board of transports for Portsmouth, where it arrived on the 26th of July ; the right wing, following soon afterwards, joined on the 2nd of August, and the regiment went into barracks at Gosport. On the 12th of January, 1825, the regiment marched 1825 from Gosport for Chatham, where it arrived on the 20th of that month. On the 7th of February the regiment marched to Gravesend to embark for Calcutta : the right wing on board the Honorable East India ii;f: 80 HISTOIUCAL HECORD OF TFIE THinTY-FIUWT, 1825 Company's ship " Kent,'' under the command of Lieut,' Colonel Fearon ; the left wing on board the " Scalcby Castle," under Major Tovey. The two ships parted company off Portsmouth at the end of February, and the " Scaleby Castle," after making a favourable voy. age, arrived at Sanger, in the mouth of the Hooglcy, on the 7th of June, The men had been remarkably healthy during the long confinement on board ship ; two only had died during the passage, and only eight were on the sick list when the vessel came to anchor. The men were transferred, after a few days' delay at Saugor Point, to sloops, a particularly uncomfortable and clumsy de- scription of vessel, then used to transport troops u]) the River Hoogley from the sand-heads, and on the 21st of June they arrived opposite P'ort William, where boats had been prepared to receive them, for they were not yet destined to land. It was the 26th, however, before the left wing was able to sail again ; it was therefore five days, during the most trying season of the year, confined in small thatched boats, which were moored to the river's bank : it nevertheless reached Berhamporc on the 2nd of July, with the loss of only one man. Berhampore, on the Bhagaritty river, is the can- tonment of the city of Moorshedabad, and in 1825 was the depot of the regiments on the Bengal esta- blishment, then on service in Burmah. The companicH of the left wing of the corps took possession of the barracks, and remained in them till the 22nd of September. The voyage of the riffht wing of the regiment from England was interrupted very early in its ])rogrcsH by , i if^ 'i&i vi: u m ^ t' .): ■ OR IIITNTINODONSIIIRE REOIMENT OF FOOT. 81 ono ut' the most unhappy events ihat cuuld bcfal u ship 1825 at 8ca. The Kent took fire on the Ut of March, in the Bay of Biscay, and was totally destroyed : the accident was first perceived about ten o'clock a.m., towards the end of a violent gale of wind, when the sea was disturbed, and the ship rolling heavily. "It was a little before this period that one of the "■ ufBcci's of the ship, with the well-meant intention of "' ascertaining that all was fast Inflow, descended with " two of the sailors into the hold, where they carried '•'■ with them, for safety, a light in a patent lantern, '' and seeing that the lamp burned dimly, took the " precaution to hand it up to the orlop deck to be " trimmed. Having afterwards discovered one of the " spirit casks to be adrift, he sent the sailors for some " billets of wood to secure it, but the ship in their '' absence having made a heavy lurch, the officer unfor- '' tunately dropped the light, and letting go his hold " of the cask, in his eagerness to recover the lantern, " it suddenly stove, and the spirits communicating with " the lamp, the whole place was instantly in a blaze."* When all hopes of saving the ship vanished, exertions were made to rescue the troops and the crew. Encou- raged by the noble example of their officei-s, the soldiers preserved the utmost order and firmness in their perilous situation. During the long and honorable services of the regi- ment, no opportunity had occurred to put its discipline and conduct to such a severe trial, but it brought from * This extract is from an excellent pamphlet published in Edinburgh soon after the event, by a " Passenger." It was written by Major Duncan M'Gregor of the thirtv-fibst regiment, who was afterwards the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ninety-third Highlanders. 88 IIISTOniCAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, .'■;'ijfT:i i_,t±. \H25 the ordeal a reputation even more distinguished than it had previously gained. In the field, when the spirits of men are excited by the animating circumstances of the contest, where honor is sure and death uncertain, valour and good order may be expected ; but in the midst of dangers against which it appeared hopeless to struggle, — at a time when no aid appeared, and passively to die w^ all that remained, — the manly resignation, the ready obedience, and the unfailing discipline — characteristics of a good soldier — evinced by the thirty-first, entitle the regiment to dwell at some length, in its Record, upon the events that called forth those admirable qualities. Although Licut.-Colonel Fearon and Major M'Gregor wore most conspicuous, yet all who were on board deserve that their names should be recorded. In the following statement is shown the number of officers and men of the thirty-first embarked in the " Kent," specifying also the number saved : — Offleers. Men. Women. ■' hildten. Total. Embarked in the Kent 20 344 47 73 484 Sovod by the Cambria ; Siivod by the Caroline Total lost . Names of tin 20 276 46 52 - 14 — — 394 14 54 1 21 76 ? Officers saved. Lieut. -Colonel . Robert Brycc Fearon. Major . . . Duncan M'Gregor, Coj Sir Charles Farrington, Bart. llobert Thomas Greene. ptains. Edward Wm. Bray. James S pence. Lieutenants. Chnrles Shaw (Adjutant.) George BaUlwin. D. li, T. Dodgin. -= — Riixton William Booth. Alexander Douglas. Ronald Campbell. Edmund Gennys. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 83 Ensign Thomas Tait. ,, Asaph Shaw. ,, Henry Evans. Paymaster Richard Monk. Quarter-Master John Waters. Ass.-Surgeon Edward Graham. 1825 The following letters will explain the providential means of escape afforded by the brig Cambria, and do justice to the humanity and gallantry of Captain Cook, who commanded it, as well as of his officers and crew. The name of this gallant officer must ever be held in great estimation by the thirty -first regiment; to him, under Providence, it owes the power of being enabled to record the many high qualities sho>vn by its members in the extremity from which he rescued them. " Gentlemen, " Brig Cambria, Falmouth, March 4, 1825. " You are aware of my leaving this port on " the 'i4th ultimo, with passengers and goods for " Mexico, and I beg to acquaint you of my return " here this morning at one o'clock, under the following " circumstances : — " On Tuesday last, the 1st instant, being then in " latitude 47° 30' and longitude 9 45', laying-to, with " a strong gale from the westward, under a close-reefed " main-topsail, we discovered a large sail to the west- " ward, and on approaching found her to have a signal " of distress flying, which induced me immediately to '* render every assistance in my power, and on nearing, " found her to be on fire. " About three p.m., being then on her bow, we sue- " cceded in getting the first boat from the vessel, " which proved to be tlic Hon. Company's ship " ' Kent ' (Captain Cobb), of 1400 tons, for Bengal and " China, with troops and passengers amounting, with " the crew, to 637 souls. From three to eight p.m. G 2 84 inSTOUICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, n U :, r ,■ . (' i , ; .■. , f 1 i 1825 « the boats wero constantly employed in bringing the " people to the ' Cambria,' and succeeded in saving " 296 officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates " ol the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, 46 women and 52 " children appertaining to ditto, 19 male and female " private passengers, and Captain Cobb and 139 of the " crew, amounting in all to 553. The flames now " becoming exceedingly fierce, I could not urge the " sailors again to return to the ship, nor deem it at all " prudent for the preservation of the lives already on " board my vessel to remain longer near the ' Kent,' " expectingher instantly to blow up. By accounts since " made it is supposed that 68 soldiers, 1 woman and 21 *' children, and 4 of the crew were left when Captain " Cobb quitted the vessel, whose conduct during the " trying occasion is beyond my humble praise, displaying " the greatest coolness and intrepidity, and by his cxer- " tions, and those of Colonel Fcaron, the commander of " the troops, who were the last to quit, the women. " children, and passengers were got into the boats ; *' and they did not leave themselves until their influ- ' enco to induce any more to go into them was useless. "At two A.M. the 'Kent' blew up, after being " completely enveloped in flames for four hours pre- " viously. 'i'he fire originated in the after-hold, where " the spirits were stowed for the use of the troops ; " a cask of which breaking adrift, and bursting, the " contents were unfortunately ignited by a candle in a " lantern. I feel the greatest gratification in stating " that the gentlemen and their Cornish miners, in all " 36, with my own crew, 1 1 more, behaved through- " out the trying period with the greatest kindness " in getting the people from the boats, soothing their OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE UEOIMENT OF FOOT. 85 sufferings, giving up their own clothes and beds to 1825 the women and children, volunteering to go into the boats (which I had good reason to prevent), and leaving nothing undone to make them as comfortable as the limited size of my brig would allow (only 200 tons). It would be pleasing also could I speak as highly of the crew of the * Kent,' but I cannot refrain from expressing my disappointment of their conduct (in which I am borne out by Captain Cobb) derogatory in every respect to the generally received character of a British seaman, —by refusing to return to the * Kent ' for the people, after the first trip, and requiring my utmost exertions and determination to compel them to renew their endeavours to get out the soldiers, passengers, and the remainder of their own shipmates, who were left behind ; and it was only by coercive measures, in conjunction mth my own crew and passengers, and telling them I would not receive them on board unless they did so, that they proceeded, though reluctantly, in their duty. I must, however, except the officers, particularly Mr. Thomson, fourth mate, and Mr. Phillips, the boat- swain, whose conduct and behaviour, in every respect, justify my warmest praise. " It may not be amiss to state that, two hours after the ship blew up, a soldier's wife was delivered of a fine boy on board the * Cambria,' and both mother and child are doing well. " I remain. Gentlemen, " Your most obedient servant, (Signed) " W. Cook. To Messrs, Wm. Broad and Sons, " Aironts to Lloyd's." M'l I- i , ^ ii;:.„ , 86 UISTORICAL RECORD OF THE TIllllTY-FIRST, 1825 (( " Falmouth, 4th March, 1825, Sir, " It is with feelings of the deei)cst regret I have to report, for the information of His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, the melancholy calamity which has befallen that portion of the thirty-first regiment under my command, embarked on board the Honorable Company's ship ' ICent,' for convey- ance to Bengal, owing to her loss, she having taken fire towards the close of a heavy gale of wind on the 1st instant, about noon, in the Bay of Biscay. The moment it was discovered bursting from the after- hold of the vessel every |X)ssible effort was made to get it under, and by the immediate application of wet blankets, soldiers' great-coats, and other woollen articles that could be obtained on the emergency, wc had for a short period every reason to hope these efforts would have proved successful ; but, unhappily, having communicated to the spirits, the hope of ex- tinguishing it was soon dispelled, and all further exertion to save the vessel appeared evidently vain ; the conflagration, owing to the state of the weather, gaining ground so rapidly. Under these circum- stances it became the imperative duty of Captain Cobb and myself to endeavour to save the lives of as many of the people as possible, for which purpose the boats were hoisted out, and some rafts hastily constructed, and as many of the women and children put into the former as we could at the moment assemble. \i this instant, by the Divine interpo- sition of Providence, a sail hove in sight, which, discerning our perilous situation, came promptly OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE KEOIMENT OF FOOT. 87 down to our relief; and, owing to the persevering 1825 heroism of the commander, at the evident risk of losing his own vessel, and by the cool and intrepid conduct of Captain Cobb, whose attentions were unremitting, a larger portion of the troops than could even have been anticipated under so unforeseen a calamity were preserved, though, I lament to add, sixty-eight men, one woman, and twenty one children appear to have perished, exclusive of five seamen. " It is some alleviation to our afflictions to be en- abled to state, that the origin of the fire is in no way attributable to the troops; a pleasing part of my duty to bear testimony to the cool and subordinate conduct of both officers and men under my com- mand, — the former aft'ording me every aid which so critical and trying an occasion demanded, and none more so than Major M'Gregor, to whose collected counsel and manly example, throughout this agoniz- ing scene of distress, I feel greatly indebted. " I have, &c. (Signed) " R. B. Fearon, ''^ Lieut.- Colonel corn^- 31s< Foot. To the Adjutant-General, " IIorse-Guards, London." " Horse-Guards, 7th March, 1825. " Sir, " His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief " has received, \\ ith sentiments of the deepest concern, " your letter of the 4th instant, communicating the *■'■ awful and afflicting calamity which has befallen the mi I '1 f If detachment embarked, iindoi' your orders, in the ship ' Kent,' and assure them that he gives them due credit for their orderly and meri- torious conduct. He considers his thanks to bo due more especially to yourself, for the example which you set them, and for the persevering and gallant exer- tions which contributed so essentially to lessen the sad result of the catastrophe. " His Royal Highness orders me to add, that ho shall deem it his duty to report to his Majesty a conduct, on your part and that of the officers and men com- mitted to your charge, which so well deserves his Majesty's approbation. " I have, &c. (Signed) " H. Taylor. Licut.-Colonel Fearon, 31st Regt." His Majesty was graciously pleased to confer ujwn Licut.-Colonel Fearon the distinction of a Companion of the Bath, for his conduct on the I t of March. On the 10th of April a detachment, from the head- quarters at Chatham, marched to Gravesend, and cm- barked on board the "Charles Grant," under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Cassidy, who had, a short time before, been appointed to the regiment. After a good passage the " Charles Grant " reached Calcutta on the 16th of August, when the detachment was ordered to Berhampore ; it joined the left wing in that cantonment on the 12th of September, when, immedi- ately on its landing, orders were received to return to Fort William. On the 2 1st of the same month, the loft wing, with the detachment, ~ all under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Cassidy, — were again embarked, on IIUNTINODONfllllllK IlKOIMKNT OF FOOT. WS iinil (lroi)])inf5 down i\u' river, in a few days reached 1825 Fort William, and diN(!mbarking, marched into barracks in the fort on the 27th of Heptcmber. On the 1 7th of November the head-quarters marched into Fort William, and the regiment was once more together. This portion had embarked on board the "Lord Hungorford" on the 'ilst of June, under the command of Major Eagar. The cholera broke out among the men of the regi- ment towards the end of November, and not abating, the regiment moved into camp on the south glacis of the fort. The ground wa» occupied on the 20th of Decem- ber, and the change was Hwm attended with advantage. On the 18th of January 182G, another detachment, 182G consisting of the grenadier company, and part of No. 1, joined, and the strength of the regiment was 3'.) odiccrs, r>0 scrjcantv, 17 drummers, 48 corporals, and 812 privates. On the 13th of Febiuary the regiment embarked on the river Hooglcy, and left the ghaut below the fort for the Sundcrbunds, on its route to Dinapore, the Bhagaritty river, by which branch of the Ganges it would have entered the main stream, being at this season of the year too shallow for boats of such a size as composed the fleet. The cholera unfortunately made its appearance during the voyage, and carried off a great number of men. llie disease was so sudden in its attacks, and so quick in its effects, that the men scarcely survived till assistance could reach them from the hospital, which being always in the rear, the boat in which a sick man might be, was ordered to dropdown to it, — it therefore became necessary to supply officers with a mixture to be given immediately to the person ,- If ' ■ I, V' 94 IIISTOIIICAL lilXOIiU OF TlIK TIIIIITY-FIIIST, m A ■ : '■' 1.7 I i I ' .'• ■ * I J82G seized : the sick man thus received aid from the nearest l>oat to his own, and was saved until the more necessary treatment could be used upon him. It was the 2nd ut' May before the regiment reached Dinaporc ; — this can- tonment is within a few miles of Patna, midway between it and the junction of the Soane with the Ganges ; it is composed of two quadrangles, a larger and a smaller one, the southern side of the former being occupied by two long buildings, with a road dividing them in the centre; these formed the barracks, each for a wing of a regiment, the remaining sides of the square being the quarters of the officers; — the centre area is a smooth greensward, used as a parade-ground ; the river flowH on the north of the whole, and within a few yards of the quarters on that side. At the end of the hot season of the year, the regiment was ordered to Mcerut, and commenced its first march in India, before daylight on the morning of the 8th of November, under Lieut.-Colonel James Cassidy, who had succeeded to the command of the thirty-mrst, Lieut.-Colonel Fearon having been appointed to the sixty-fourth regiment on the 12th of January, IS'iG. The sick with the women and children had been pre- viously sent by water under Captain Bolton. The route of the regiment lay across the Soane, which it passed at Quilwur Ghaut, through the Shahabad district to Buxar, beneath the fort of which place it crossed the Ganges by ferry, and marched towards the military station of Ghazeeporc, then occupied by the forty-fourth regiment. After passing this post, the regiment crossed the Goomtee by a bridge of boats, where it falls into the Ganges, near the village of Kitec • then to the cantonment of Secrolc, near the city OR IIUNTINanONSIIIUE IlEGIMKNT OF FOOT \)fi Benares; a^ain reached the hanksof thcGanj^es, at the \H'2li little village of Joosey, and recrosscd it to Allahabad; thence the route lay through Kurrah, Futtchporc, and Korah toEtawah, a city on thc.luinna. From Etawuh through Shekohabad and Jcllasir, in the province of Agra ; passing the dilapidated fort of Shasnee, the roud led through the city of Cool, to the celebrated fortress of Allyghur ; thence by Khorjah Bolundshuhur and Hauppcr to Meerut, where the regiment arrived on the 1 827 morning of Saturday, January 13th, 1827, after a march of sixty-seven days, during which time the men continued very healthy ; — the number in hospital never exceeded thirty, many for trifling cases, and but two men died. On the same day the tiiiuty-fiiist occupied the lines vacated by the fourteenth regiment. Meerut was the head-quarters of a division of the Bengal Army, com- manded by Major-General Reynell ; and a considerable force was assembled, as a check upon Delhi, thirty-six miles from Meerut, as well as upon the province of Rohilcund, on the opposite shore of the Ganges. The THIRTY-FIRST had been without colours since the destruction of ihe " Kent," but a new stand, which, for want of an opportunity, had n^ , et been presented, was in possession of the regiment ; and the Governor- General of India, the Right Honvu'ablc Lord Amherst, being at Delhi, in the course of a tour of the upper provinces, his L,ady was solicited to present the new colours to the regiment. They were presented by her Ladyship on the 7th of March, 1827, and the Governor- General addressed the following speech to Lieut.- Colonel Cassidy on the occasion : — " I am persuaded that Lady Amherst will consider " herself fortunate in having been selected to bear so 96 lirSTOIlICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1827 " distinguished a part in the ceremony of this day. It " will be her earnest prayer that so dire a calamity as " that which befel your former colours may never occur " to those which she has had the honor to present to " you. From the ordinary perils of war they are safe " in your handsj and she confidently trusts that Her " Majesty's thirty-first will ever march to victory " under the colours now consigned to your charge." To celebrate the event, the officers of the regiment entertained a large party at a ball and supper in their Mess- house. 1828 During the years 1828 and 1829 the regiment conti- '^^'^nuodat Meerut In 1829 orders were received to reduce the establish ment of the regiment to 73G rank and file. The tii;rty-first regiment was at this time stronger than it had ever been ; its effective strength amounted to 108r>. The men were young and in high health ; the climate good, and the barracks excellent, different from those at Dinapore ; they consisted of a certain number of detachuu buildings, each calculated for a subdivision only : they were thatched, and had at the angles good rooms for non commissioned officers. New buildings were erected of even a superior description, each company having four houses allotted to it, with its ])roportiun of non-commissioned officers' rooms at the angles, as in the old buildings. 1831 In the commencement of the year 1831 the north- west frontier of India was reinforced, and the thirty- 5'iRST inarched to Kurnaul, the head-quarters of the »Sirhind division. The regiment left Meerut on the 27th of January, and halted that day at Sardhanna, the capital of an independent state, under the ccle- OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 97 brated Begum Sumroo. She had been its ruler for a 1831 period of sixty years ; and, a Mahometan in her youth, she had adopted Christianity. The officers of the regi- ment dined with her Highness It is five days' march from Meerut to Kurnaul. On the 30th of January the river Hinden was crossed by ferry, and on the following day the river Jumna, when the regiment encamped in its new quarters. The bar- racks had not then been built, Kurnaul never having been occupied by a British regiment. The Native cantonment was situated in front of the city, facing to the north. The new lines marked out for the regiment were in front of the right of the old lines facing the west, in which quarter an extensive plain extends, without one tree to shade it, as far as the eye can reach ; in the rear flows the canal of Merdan Ali Khan, a lively stream drawn from the Jumna at Rajghaut, fifty miles above, and running to Delhi, eighty miles below. On the right are long tracts of jungle, with a few villages and some cultivated land near the bank of the canal, a little to the rear. The barracks were detached build- ings, two to each company. General Sir Henry Warde, G.C.B., was appointed from the sixty-eighth regiment to the Colonelcy of the THIRTY FIRST regiment on the 13th of April, 1831, in succession to General the Earl of Mulgrave, G.C.B., deceased. It was the month of June before the barracks were ready to receive the men, until which time the regiment remained in camp. The officers' houses in rear of the barracks were built at their own expense, it being the custom in the u])])cr provinces of India to possess pro- H \p'mi 98 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, J. rr r i. ^'V'' ii:i] ; ':4 1831 perty of this description ; the inconvenience and ex- pense of establishing a cantonment are very severe at the time on many, particularly on the junior officers. It is only, however, when a cantonment is altogether abandoned that this custom can be attended with loss. Kurnaul was likely to be permanent from its position with regard to the Punjaub and the dominions of the Ameers of Scinde, besides the great importance acquired every year by the country beyond the Indus. In October, 1831, the regiment marched to Roopur on the river Sutlej, as part of the escort attached to the Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck, who had arranged to have an interview at that place with his Highness Runjeet Singh, the Ruler of the Punjaub. Having left Kurnaul on the 10th of October, the regiment reached the ground allotted for the escort on the 22nd of that month; the route lay through the Sikh territories, on the British side of the Sutlej. Thennaiser, a spot of celebrated sanctity, and Umballa, a populous city, were the only places of consequence, however, on the march. The escort assembled at Roopur, to do honor to the interview, was composed of two squadrons of the sixteenth Lancers, with the band of that regiment, the thirty-first regiment, two bat- talions of native infantry (the 14th and 32nd), eight guns of horse artillery, with two squadrons of irregular cavalry from Colonel Skinner's regiment. The force Runjeet Singh had brought with him encamped, on the morning of the 25th of October, on the opposite bank of the river, and consisted of ten thousand of his best horse and six thousand disci- plined infantry. A bridge of boats had been thrown across the river, and on the morning of the 26th of OR HUNTINGDONSHIUE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 99 October the meeting took place; the Chief of the 1831 Punjaub, accompanied by a deputation of British officers that had gone to meet him, with a detachment of 3800 hoi se, 800 being disciplined dragoons, under General AUard, a French officer in Runjeet's service, crossed the river. All the Sikh chiefs were in attendance on their Sovereign, and the train passed through a street to the Governor-GeneraVs camp, formed by the sixteenth Lancers and the thirty-first regiment. This is not the place in which to dwell on the splendour or chivalrous appearance of the scene, on the glitter of the polished armour of some, and the gaiety of the yellow silk in which all were dressed. The British troops were infinitely greater objects of interest and curiosity to the Sikhs, than even the variety of the arms, and the f pures of the men of the latter, were to the former, li, '. , Singh inquired into every thing connected witL a^e arming and disciplining of the THIRTY-FIRST with the kceucst eye. During a review of the corps, on a second visit, he rode close into the line, and examined every movement, pointing out with great intelligence to the Sirdars, or leaders, about him the evolutions that he thought useful, or sending them to observe particularly how they were performed. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment was not under arms on the return visit. The farewell interview took place on the last day of the month, with the same ceremony as that observed at the first meeting. The next morning (November 1st) the camps broke up; the THIRTY-FIRST regiment returned, by the route it had come, to Kurnaul, and arrived there on the 1 6th of November. In the spring of the year 1832, Lieut.-Colonel 1832 H 2 i y'i IPs 100 HISTORICAF RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1832 Cassidy returned to England in ill health, after having commanded the regiment seven years. He was succeeded by Major Eagar, who died in December following, when for nearly three years the command of the regiment devolved upon the two sen or Captains alternately. 1834 On the 10th of October, 1834, Lieut,- General Sir Edward Barnes, G.C.B., was appointed from the seventy-eighth regiment to the Colonelcy of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, in succession to General Sir Henry Warde, G.C.B., deceased. In December, 1834, Major F.>lton joined the regi- ment, and was promoted, in November of the following 1835 year, to the rank of Lieut.- Colonel, by purchase, Colonel Cassidy having been removed to the charge of a recruiting district. 1836 On the 20th of January, 1836, the regiment left Kurnaul on its march to Dinapore, and, halting a day near Delhi, crossed the Jumna below the city ; thence, continuing through the Doab (land between two rivers), to Allahabad, crossed the Ganges by a bridge of boats above the fort. Having halted at Benares and Ghazcepore, it recrossed the Ganges at Buxar, and ar- riving on the 26th of March at Dinapore, again took up its quarters in the barracks it had occupied ten years before ; — although the weather was very hot, and the regiment had marched ^"ithout a day's halt from Cawn- pore (thirty-one marches), there were only fifteen sick. From Kurnaul to Dinapore the change of climate is very great, while the confinement of the latter place, with the close and crowded state of the barracks, after the open scene, the comfortable thatched buildings, and the cold bracing winter air of the former station, were - ) OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 101 severely felt. In Kumaul the hospital list never ex- 1836 ceeded seventy, while it occasionally continued, during the hot weather, so low as thirty, and in the cold season eight or nine, for months together. During the summer of the year 1837, the thermo- 1837 meter remained at 115 degrees in the barracks for several days, and many deaths occurred from apoplexy, produced by the great heat. ijieut.-General Sir Colin Halkett, K.C.B. and 1838 G.C.H., was appointed from the seventy-first regiment to the Colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment, on the 28th of March, 1838, in succession to General Sir Edward Barnes, G.C.B., deceased. On the 16th of November the thirty -first marched towards Ghazeepore, to relieve the forty-fourth regi- ment, and occupied the barracks at that station on the 27th of that month. Ghazeepore stands at the edge of a fine plain on the left bank of the Ganges, close to the river. It is one of the frontier posts towards Nepaul, is forty-six miles from Benares, and four hundred and six miles from Calcutta. The strength of the regiment had been reduced to 1839 six hundred and thirty-two rank and file ; it had at this period been fourteen years in India, during which time the casualties by death amounted to fourteen officers, and six hundred and seventy-seven men. During this year the regiment remained cantoned at Ghazeepore, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Bolton ; and was constantly on the alert in expectation to march towards Nepaul to repel the incursions of the Ncpaulese. On the 3rd of A])ril, 1839, the regiment was aug- mented to an establishment of ten companies, consisting !;■■{ i»''f '1 ! > .V 102 HISTORICAL llECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1839 of one colonel, two lieut. -colonels, two majors, ten captains, thirty subalterns, six staff, fifty -seven Ser- jeants, nineteen drummers, and nine hundred and seventy-six rank and file. On the 13th of May, 1839, the regiment was inspected by Major-General Cocks, of the Honorable East India Company's Service, who expressed, in high termp, his approbation of its appearance. Ghazeepore was found very unhealthy during the rains, and the regiment suffered severely, both in officers and men, from fever and dysentery. 1840 The regiment remained at Ghazeepore until the 12th of October, 1840, when orders were received to inarch to Agra, to relieve the ninth foot. It arrived at Agi-a on the 30th of November, and its effectives amounted to forty-one Serjeants, and seven hundred rank and file. At Agra the regiment was more healthy than at the two former stations, and its strength was increased during the year by a large detachment of recruits from England. 1841 In March, 1841, a large party of recruits joined the regiment under the command of Major Skinner, through whose able management they arrived in the highest possible order. Owing to the indefatigable exertions of Lieut.-Colonel Bolton, the commanding officer, little time elapsed before the regiment formed a highly disciplined and most efficient battalion of 992 bayonets. At this period the government of Shah Shoojah became so impopular, that the Affghans appeared determined to effect the expulsion of the British, by whose aid he had been reinstated in the sovereignty of horse, ■ir'-'i, !t OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 103 Cabool in 1839, and whose presence was rendered 1841 necessary to support his authority. Towards the close of the year 1841, the Affghans broke out into open insurrection ; the British Envoy, Sir William McNaghten, and Sir Alexander Burnes were treacherously murdered ; and the British troops, includ- ing the forty-fourth regiment, which occupied Cabool, being ( )mpelled to evacuate and retreat towards Jel- lalabad, were cut to pieces on the march. Jelldlabad was soon beleaguered by the Affghans, and every exertion was made to send succour from India to its little garrison, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Sir Robert Sale, of the thirteenth light infantry, who was serving with the rank of Major-General in AfFghanistan. Upon the breaking out of the insurrection, the Major- Gcneral had been detached from Cabool with a force, in order to reduce the insurgents, and, after much hard fighting in the passes, had taken possession of Jellalabad, the successful defence of which, by his small garrison, forms so interesting a feature in the Affghan campaign. The regiment was ordered to join a force collected at 1 842 Peshawur, in the north of the Punjaub, under Major- General Pollock ; and on the 15th of January, 1842, it marched from Agra, mustering 9y6 bayonets, in the highest state of discipline and efficiency. On the 10th of March the Sutlej was crossed by means of a bridge of boats (which had been constructed for the accommodation of the British troops by the Sikh government) by the force under the command of Lieut.- Colonel Bolton, of the thirty-first regiment. The force, which consisted of the thirty-first regiment, the sixth native infantry, some troops of Talt's irregular iiorse, and Delafossc's troop of horse artillery, arrived i' m u: 104 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE TUlRTy-FIUST, 1842at Pcshawur on the '21st of April, and was most hos- pitably entertained by General Avitabile,* by order of the Maharajah Shore Singh. Before the corps could join the army, Major-Gencral Pollock forced the Khyber Pass, and marched on to Jellalabad, at which place he arrived on the 16th of April ; the AfFghans had, on the 7th of April, been attacked, and defeated, by Major-General Sir Robert Sale ; Mahomed Akbar Khan was consequently obliged to abandon the siege of Jellalabad, which he had blockaded since February, 1842. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, which had followed Major-General Pollock by forced marches, joined at Jellalabad on the 5th of May, — after making a halt for about five days at Pcshawur, — having undergone much privation on the way by the desertion of the camel- * General Avitabile, one of the military instructors of the Sikhs, was a native of Italy, and at the conclusion of Napoleon's bright, but evanescent career, sought employment in the East. He was handsomely rewarded by the Sovereign of the Punjaub, Eunjeet Singh, together with another Italian officer, named Ventura, and two Frenchmen, Allard and Court, for introducing European tactics into the Sikh army, liunjeet Singh also conferred the governorship of Peshawur upon General Avitabile, and by his vigorous administration it was reduced from a state of anarchy to one of comparative security. Peshawur sig- nifies "advanced post," that name having been conferred upon it by its founder, the Mogul Emperor Akbar, in consequence of its being the frontier town of India towards Affghanistan. Runjeet Singh died in 1839, and his son and successor, Kurruck Singh, being of weak intellect, was shortly afterwards deposed, when his son, Noo Nehal Singh, assumed the reins of Government. His death, which occurred in returning from his father's funeral, caused the throne to be again vacant, and the crown was bestowed on Prince Shere Singh, a twin- son of Kunjeet Singh. Shere Singh was a firm friend to the English, and by his interference Major-General Pollock was permitted to proceed witli his ainiy through the Punjaub to Cabool in 1842, although the Sikh Sirdars were dispobed to attack the British troops. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 105 drivers : several deaths occurred from famine and 1842 fatigue. The army was halted in wretched tents at Jellalabad, the climate of which is known to be so unhealthy during the summer as to cause it to be used by the natives as a winter residence only. Soon the effects of this dis- played itself; the days became so oppressive that both officers and men were obliged to dig deep holes under- ground in which to shield themselves, in some slight measure, from the burning heat of the sun. The thermometer rose as high as 126° in the tents, and man and beast fell stricken by the extreme heat. Neither was it in men alone that the army was daily losing its efficiency. From the valley of Jellalabad having been so long the seat of war, the fertile land had become a desert, — the wretched half-starved camels could find no forage on the bare face of the sand, and they died by hundreds ; their dead bodies lying about in all directions, swollen with the sun, and emitting the most horrid exhalations, together with the filth and dirt of a standing camp of 50,000 men, added to the disease which raged among the troops. The army suffered a loss which the most sanguinary encounter with the cncm" could not have exceeded. At last, it was found necessary to divide the force, and the fourth brigade, in which was the thirty-first regiment, was ordered to march under Brigadier Mon- teath to Peshbolak, in the Shinwaree country, to punish some refractory tribes, which had behaved with great treacheiy to a party of Jezailchees, who had been at the former place, and to bring to submission the unruly Sliinwarees, who had attacked several convoys, and been guilty of many acts of murder and plunder. , I, III, i-i i J. ft ' '! I 41^ ' 'I ■:i lOG HISTOHICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTV-PIHST, 1842 For the first month the regiment met with little opposition, and the camel-thorn, a wild bush, on the leaves of which camels feed, being found in great (juan- tities, and large supplies of grain being taken, the condition of the camels, horses, and other baggage ani- mals was much improved ; the half-starved emaciated animals, which had marched from Jellalubad, (juickly recovered their wonted vigour and efficiency. The warlike and turbulent Shinwaree tribes retired before Brigadier Monteath's brigade, until they sheltered themselves in their strongholds, which were formed in a narrow valley, strengthened by many forts and stock- aded enclosures, while the heights on cither side were defended by numerous sunghas, or breastworks of large stones, which were so constructed as to enable them to dispute every inch of ground with an advancing force. The brigade having arrived, and encamped about two miles from this formidable position, a reconnoi- tring party was sent out, under the command of Captain Willes, of the thirty -first regiment, to ex- amine the strength of the enemy's preparations^ and determine his exact position. It was composed of two companies of the thirty-third Native Infantry, with a few Jezailchees, or Native Light Infantry, so named from the Jezail, or short rifle, with which they arc armed. This party, having proceeded some four or five miles from the camp, was furiously attacked by a large force of Shinwarees, and suffered severely from their fire, which was very effective from the position they had taken up, and from which it required a very considerable force to drive them : nevertheless the object sought was fully obtained ; the enemy's position OR IIUNTINODONAHinE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 107 was correctly aRccrtaincd, together with every requisite 1842 inf'urmatiun for the attack in force, after which the reconnoitring party returned to the camp, sustaining a smart action the whole way back. On the 26th of July Brigadier Montcath prepared to attack the enemy near Mazeena with his whole force ; and accordingly, leaving the camp standing under an cHicicnt guard, ho moved towards the |)osition occu- pied by the AfTghaniit, who were prc])arcd, and nothing loth to meet him. Little time elapsed before the engagement was commenced by the thirty-first regiment, seconded by the thirty- third and fifty-third Native Infantry, ascending the heights, and driving the Shinwarccs from their breastworks, and along the ridges of the hillw, while the tenth Light Ca- valry, in the valley below, charged them whenever they showed front on level ground. The camp followers and pioneers had been furnished with combustibles to burn the forts, as the 8hinwarees were driven out of them, which service was very efficiently performed. Meanwhile, on the heights, the enemy disputed every foot of ground until taken at the point of the bayonet, and Lieut. M'llwcen, of the thirty-first regiment, was killed while gallantly leading an attack of this kind against a vastly superior force. The Affghans being driven from their defences, the artillery, under the command of Captain Abbott, played upon them with great cfTect ; and after contest- ing the day until every fort and place of defence had been taken and destroyed, they fled, dispersing them- selves among the neighbouring hills, where it was im- possible to pursue them. Their loss was very great, including most of their leaders. lis m I ih )^:''t lilli! :f ■ -j 108 III8TOUICAL KUCOllU 0¥ THE TUIUTY- FIRST, 1842 The THIRTY-FIRST rcgimcnt had Lieut. Dalway M'llvcen killed, and seven rank and file wounded; several men of the regiment died suddenly from a|x)< plexy, caused by the heat of the sun and want of water. Thus ended the action of Mazeena, in which the behaviour of the thirty-first regiment elicited \\\c highest commendation from Brigadier Montcath, who stated, in his despatch of the 27th of July, that " at one time the interiors of five-and-thirty forts were " in a blaze along the valley, the enemy contemplatinji; " the scene from the heights in the vicinity of Secunder " Khan's fort, where they had taken up positions, and " from whence they were driven in gallant style by tho *' advance, consisting of the light and two battalion *' companies of Her Majesty's thirty-first regiment, " the light companies of the thirty-third and fifty- " third regiments of Native Infantry, and the corps of " Jezailchees under Major Skinmr, of Her Majesty's " thirty-first regiment. " It gives me great pleasure to record the zealous " conduct of the troops generally, and the cheerful " and praiseworthy manner in which the soldiers of " Her Majesty's thirty-first regiment laboured to " drag the guns up such places as the horses, notwith- " standing their unequalled qualities, were incapable " of doing. " My thanks are very justly due to Lieut. -Colonel " Bolton, of Her Majesty's thirty-first regiment, for " the able manner in which he conducted the duties of " covering the retirement of the force ; and particularly " so to Major Skinner for the zealous and gallant " manner in which he led the advance against the " enemy." OR IIUNTINaDONfilllRK REOIMENT OF FOOT. KV.) The Brigadier bIbo acknowledged the services of 1842 other officers belonging to the force under his com- mand, in which number was included Lieutenant and Adjutant Lugavd, of the thirtyfihst regiment, who acted as Major of Brigade. The brigade of Brigadier- General Montcath, having thus performed most successfully the service for which it had been detached, now marched to join the main army at Jellalabad, and arriving there took up its old pround. On the 22nd of August the army marched in two divisions, and proceeded without opposition, but suffering intense fatigue from the labour of dragging the artillery and stores over the almost inaccessible paths, until it arrived at Soorkhab, distant four marches from Jellalabad. On the British leaving Soorkhab, the Affghans showed themselves in force, and the rear-guard, under the command of Lieut. -Colonel Bolton, was so hard pressed by thousands of the irregular troops of the enemy, that Brigadier Monteath thought it necessary to halt the brigade at the entrance of the JugduUuck pass, to enable it to form a junction with the main column, which it did after suffering considerable loss. The Ghilzees hotly contested the passage of the pass, but after a sharp engagement they were driven off with much slaughter. In this action Lieut. -Colonel Bolton had his horse shot under him in two places, and Lieutenant Shaw, of the regiment, was wounded. The next day (9th September) the Affghans were so much dispirited by their defeat, that the division marched to JugduUuck without further opposition than a little skirmishing with the rear guard, and m 11 fi ' ^1 ^ ii i^ft' II IK ' Aui; 110 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1842 Lieutenant Brooke, of the thirty-first regiment, was wounded. On the lOthof September, it having been ascertained that Akbar Khan with 20,000 men had established himself in the Khoord Cabool pass, in order to cover the capital and fight a pitched battle with the British, the second division was ordered to join the first by a forced march to Tezeen, where Major- General Pollock was en- camped. This junction was effected on the 11th of Sep. tembcr, with little loss, although a running fight was kept up the greater part of the way. In fact, the advance to Cabool was a succession of skirmishes, often- times by night as well as by day. The camp was attacked on the night of the 1 2th of September, but the enemy made no impression, and little loss occurred, although all the piquets of the THinTY-FiRST regiment were engaged until daybreak. Shortly after daybreak on the 13th of September the army moved ofT its ground towards the Tezeen Pass, the advanced guard, commanded by Sir Robert Sale, being composed of three companies of the ninth regi- ment, three companies of the thirteenth or Prince Albert's Light Infantry, together with two companies of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, under Captain Baldwin and Lieutenant Greenwood. After moving carefully along the pass for about two miles, the Affghans were discovered, in great force, occupying strong positions on the heights on cither side, while their artillery and cavalry were formed some distance farther on in the pass itself The action commenced by a heavy fire from the enemy on the advanced guard of the British ; and the distance being too great for musketry, from the ctloct of which also OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. Ill the AfFghans were covered by extensive sunghas, or 1842 intrenchments formed of large blocks of stone, for the whole length of their position, it was judged necessary for the troops to ascend the heights, and drive them from their posts at the point of the bayonet. This service was most brilliantly performed on the left heights by the ninth and thirty-first regiments, and on the right by the thirteenth light infantry. The companies ascended the face of the mountain under a most galling fire, from the effects of which many casualties occurred, and not returning a shot until the ledge was gained : a combined volley within ten yards of the enemy, followed by an immediate charge of bayonets, drove him from his defences with great slaughter, and the heights were gained. For this service Captain Baldwin received the brevet rank of Major. The AfTghans' advanced posts being driven in and pursued as far as the broken and difficult nature of the country would admit, they retired upon their sup- ports, which were, with great judgment, defended by endless sunghas^ erected in every position from which a fire could be brought on advancing troops. The British, having gained the heights, and being reinforced by fresh troops, pushed on, and, storming one intrenchmcnt after another, threw the Affghans into great confusion. The artillery ^ having been brought up, played upon them with terrific effect, while the British cavalry, having charged and over- thrown their horse, posted in the pass, and taken their guns, together with the state tent of Akbar Khan, the fortune of the day at this eurly [)criod evi- dently smiled f .i the British arms ; but the warlike 1 12 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1842 mountaineers, who composed the Affghan army, fought with desperate valour to retrieve the day. Attack after attack was made upon the troops occupying the posts from which the enemy had first been driven. Reck- less of life, the stern fanatics came on to be shot down from the defences which they had themselves thrown up. In a series of desultory attacks the day declined, and the British, having obtained possession of every height commanding the pass, the remains of the Affghan army made a d6tour among the hills, falling with great fury upon the British rear-guard, com- manded by Colonel Richmond, of the thirty-third regiment of Native Infantry. Here they were so warmly received that their discomfiture was completed, and the day was won. The victorious British encamped for the night in the valley of Khoord (Little) Cabool, a village distant about sixteen miles from Cabool. In this action Lieutenant Pollard received a severe contusion from a large block of stone while attempting to take a standard. Major Skinner, of the thirty- first regiment, highly distinguished himse]; nith the force which was detached under his command, and which proceeded, in the afternoon of the 12th of Sep- tember, across the hills towards the valley of Khoord Cabool by a route different from that of the main army. On the march, Major Skinner came suddenly in presence of a greatly superior number of Affghans. Notwithstanding that the country was diflicult and imperfectly known, by a series of skilful manoeuvres he extricated his troops from the perilous situation in which they were placed, and defeated the Aff*ghans, who exceeded five times his force, with great slaughter, on the 1 3th of September. w ^m OK HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 113 So complete was the defeat of the Affghan army on 1842 the 13th of September, that Akbar Khan escaped from the field accompanied only by a solitary horseman. The enemy acknowledged to have lost fifty-three chiefs and persons of consequence, and 700 men. The casualties on the part of the British amounted to 185. Major-General Pollock, in his despatch dated 14th of September, again acknowledged the services of Lieut.- Colonel Bolton and Major Skinner, of the thirty-first regiment. No impediments now existed to the advance of the British on the city of Cabool. On the 15th of Septem- ber the army arrived at Cabool, and encamped on the race-course. On the following day the place was occu- pied and the standard of England hoisted on the highest pinnacle of the battlen»ents of the Bala Hissar (Upper Fort), on which occasion the flank companies of the thirty-first formed part of the guard which garrisoned the citadel. The British colours were hoisted daily as long as the army remained at Cabool. All the objects of the campaign having been gained, and the rescue of the prisoners effected, — among whom were several officers and ladies (Lady Sale, the partner of the gallant defender of Jellalabad being among the number), also three Serjeants, three drummers, and thirty rank and file of Her Majesty's forty-fourth regiment, — the Anglo-Indian army commenced its march towards Hindoostan on the 12th of October, after having destroyed the grand bazaar of Cabool, named the Chahar C huttah, where the remains of the British Envoy had been exposed to public insult by the infuriated Affghans. 'i'hc thirty-first regiment was again constantly 1 114 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, ■, V ft f f; m in li'A It ' great slaughter. Liputenant Thomas Pender, of the ' THIRTY-FIRST regiment, received a severe wound near Seh Baba, from the effects of which he died on the 18th of November. - Major-General McCaskill, in his despatch dated 20th of October, 1842, recording the attacks on his division by the predatory tribes of the mountains between Tezeen and Gundamuck, stated that, " Throughout these affairs the conduct of the troops " emplo^'ed, including the second and sixteenth Native " infantry, temporarily attached to me, has deserved " my highest approbation, and I feel it to be my duty " to record, that in the advance toCabool, and in retiring " from it, the bravery of that portion of the fourth " brigade which took part in the active operations, " namely, Her Majesty's thirty-first regiment, and " a wing of the thirty-third Native infantry, — the re- " maining wing and the sixth Native infantry having " been detained to garrison Jellalabad and Gunda- " muck, — as well as their endurance of privations and " fatigue, have been beyond all praise. No troops " could, in every respect, have behaved better ; and I *' feel myself to be deeply indebted to Brigadic " Monteath, C.B., and to Lieut.-Colonel Bolton, of '• Her Majesty's thirty-first, and to Lieut.-Colonel " Richmond, of the thirty-third Native infantry, for the " able and gallant manner in which they have been led." 'I'i^ OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REOIMENT OF FOOT. 115 The THIRT /-FIRST regiment arrived at Jellalabad 1842 on the 23rd of October, and, after destroying the forti- fications, proceeded thence on the 27th to Peshawur, where it arrived in the beginning of November. The campaign having now been brought to a close, the THIRTY-FIRST reached Ferozepore on the 19th of December, having been in the field for eleven months during this arduous campaign. ;' rv^ ;» ;: » " On arrival at Ferozepore the thirty-first regiment joined the " Army of Reserve," which had been as- sembled on the frontier, and where the Governor- General, Lord Ellenborough, and General Sir Jasper Nicolls, the commander-in-chief in India, had pro- ceeded to receive the army of Afighanistan. For his services connected with the command of the thirty-first regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Bolton was made a Companion of the Bath, and appointed aide- de-camp to the Queen, with the rank of colonel. In testimony of the services of the thirty-first during the campaign in Affghanistan, Her Majesty was graciously pleased to authorize the regiment to bear the word "Cabool, ?*^45,'' on the regimental colour and appointivf ints. On the breaking up of the army at Ferozepore, the 1843 thirty-first, commanded by Colonel Bolton, was ordered to Umballa, a place about 170 miles to the south, and wb^c'h had ;'8ver been oreviously occupied by troops. Here the regiment arrived on the 27th of January, 1843, and, cantonments having been marked out, barracks were commenced for the men ;ind ground allotted for the erection of bungalows for the officers. On the 5th of May the thirty-first sustained a severe loss by the death of Major and Brevet Lieut.- i2 : i I: .t'J,;*: ; 116 HISTORICAL RECORiJ OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1843 Colonel Skinner, a zealous and.-talented officer, whose services are frequently alluded to in the historical record of the regiment.* In May, 1843, the re.v'iment was ordered to Khytul, and foiined part of a foice under Major-General Ftist, which was sent to reduce the city and state of Khj tu! to British subjection. Ilie force arrived rit Khytul after about a week's march, and tbe enemy, after a slight show of resistance, evacuated the city, which was occupied by the British troops. All the objects cf the expedition having been fulfilled, the regiment returned to its cn,T)ioiiments at Umballa. All, hijwevcr, re- mained inder canvas, exposed to most intense heat, until July, }84o, ;vhin the men were housed, and a Vevr of the okln *;«; got shelter. In October, 1843, an oatbreak occurred at Lahore, and the Maharajah, Shere Singh, was shot at a review by his brother-in law, Ajeet Sin'.^h ; after this event the youthful Dhuleep Singh, a reputed son of the late Runjeet Singh, was placed on the throne. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment was in consequence ordered to the frontier, and marched for Ferozepore on the 16th of November, where it arrived on the 1st of December, 1843, and remained as a corps of obser- vation. ]S44 The THIRTY FIRST, commanded by Colonel Bolton, C.B., continued at Ferozepore, where the regiment was joined by ninety-three recruits from England. On the 16th of January, 1844, the regiment was inspected, and elicited great praise from Major-General Hunter of tbt Company's Service, and again on the 1 6th of February, * Vide Memoir of Licut.-Colonel Skinner, Appendix, p. *''ii u ■ ■ ■ - :■" v." OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 117 by Major-General Sir Robert Dick, K.C.B., who ex- 1844 pressed great praise as well of the soldierlike and gallant bearing as of the high state of discipline of the r .riment. The weather becoming extremely hot, the regiment ji(a,r ' od from Ferozeporc on the lUth of April, 1844, HI', t':;'de to UmbaP?, where it arrived on the 2nd of May. On the 30th of December, 1844, his Excellency General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., Commander-in-Chief in L; lia, inspected the thirty-first, in review order, on which occasion he expressed himself highly satisfied with the soldierlike appearance of the regiment. On the 1 2th of March, 1 845, a detachment of recruits 1845 and volunteers, consisting of one major, one captain* three lieutenants, two ensigns, one assistant-surgeon, with four hundred and seventy-one rank and file, joined the regiment from the lower provinces, under the com- mand of Major Spence. Many men continued to die from the effects of the Cabool campaign, but the station in itself proved healthy until July, when it was visited by cholera in a most fearful manner. On the 26th of July the regiment was ordered into camp, about two miles from the barracks, at a few hours' notice, with orders for one officer per company, as well as the medical officers, constantly to rcimain in i.amp under Major Spence, where they continued until the 5th of August. In one month the regiment lost by cholera eighty-nine men. women, and children. After the death of Maha Shere Singh, the Punjaub was in a state of anarchy ; tlie juvenile sovereign, Dhuleep Singh, under the tutelage of his mother and uncle, was unable to control the turbulent Sikh chief- 118 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, p if ■': ': I' ::i\; 1 ]i'^ ,i ^'; 1845 tains, and open hostility soon manifested itself against the British Government in India. In the beginning of December, 1845, the inclination of the Sikh Sirdars to invade the British territories appeared to increase, and about the 11th of that month, with a large army and a well-appointed artil- lery, they actually crossed the Sutlej, the boundary river which separates the Punjaub from the British dominions.* ' "- The Commander-in-Chief in India, General Sir Hugh Gough, sent immediate orders for the Umballa division of the army, which had lately been con- siderably increased in strength, to be pushed on towards the invaded front? :■ Previous to its march, fhia foicc had been formed into divisions and brigado-i. Tliio ■; rst brigade of the first division was composed oi" iL:* rniRTY-FiRST regi- ment, and two rigiments of Native infantry, viz., the twenty-fourth and forty-seventh regiments. The first division was commanded by Major- General Sir Henry Smith ; Colonel Bolton, C.B., of the thirty-first regiment, was appointed Brigadier to command the first brigade. Lieut.-Colonel Byrne, the next senior officer, assumed the command of the regiment. Cap- tain Garvock was appointed Brigade-Major to the first brigade, and Captain Lugard, Assistant- Adjutant- General to the first division. ♦ The Punjaub dtrives its name from two Persian words (punj, five, and aub, waters), signifying ^we waters. In fact there are six rivers intersecting the country, namely the Indus, Jlielum, Chenauh, Jlavee, Beas, and Siillej. The course of the U/as is much siiorter than the five other rivers, so that it appears to have l>een disregarded when the name of the Punjaub was bestowed. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 119 It being of the utmost importance to aid the divi- 1845 sion of the army in the defence of Ferozepore, a fort on the left bank of the Sutlej, where the British Government had large magazines containing muni- tions of war, a park of artillery, military stores, and equipments for the field army, which protected the frontier, it was necessary to push on the Umballa division, with all possible speed, by rapid and forced marches, towards the point near which the Sikhs, after having crossed the Sutlej, were assembled in large force, emboldened by numbers, and their army composed of well-disciplined troops, with a numerous and well- appointed artillery. This army had been instructed and trained in European tactics and discipline by French and Italian officers ; it was confident in its own strength and in the powerful aid of its formidable artillery. It was evidently the object of the enemy to prevent the junction of t'lo Umballa division with the Feroze- pore field force, to cut off the latter division, and ♦o capture the fort and magazines of Ferozerore, before the Umballa division could arrive at the scene of action, The enemy hoped also to have a rich »)Ooty in the plunder of the large town of Ferozepore. The Sikhs knew and calculated the distance the Umballa troops had to march before they could reach the vicinity of Ferozepore, one hundred and fifty miles, and thj nature of the country through which they had to march; but they did not calculate on the energy, patient endurance of hardships, and privtttion, which the British soldier would cheerfulh' undergo, when he knew, that hif br.7,ve and heroic Commander-in-Chief was leading him in person against the foe, who had dared to invade the I- itish possession' T ! I it .< <:}:* 120 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1845 On the 10th of December the thirty-first received the order to march, and the morning of the 1 2th saw the regiment leave Umballa, mustering 30 ofRcors and 844 men. After long ami har.i^ 'ng marches of twonty-fivo to thirty milos a day, the severe nature of which it w impossible to describe, the regiment arrived at the village o^ jfoodkee about two o'clock in the afternoon of the 18tii of December, having on th.'* day performed I man^h of not less than twenty-live miles : same itJoa may be formed of the sufferings which the men enduied from fatigue on this eventful day, when it \h kncvvn that at the last halt, about two miles from Moodkee, scarcely ^^y men were left with the colours; anr^ for miles to the rear they might be seen staggering forward through the soft sand in an exhausted state from wa«t of water and rest. The soldiers were in the act of pitching their tents, and had eaten nothing, when the alarm was given that the en as close upon them in force. The thiiitv- FiRbT rushed to arms, and forming the right of the first brigade of the first division, under Major-Goneral Sir Henry Smith, formed in quarter-distance column, left in front, advanced t^vo or three mi^es, deployed on the grenadier company, and so continued the line formed by the regiments on their right. The thirty-first were now on ploughed land in front of a thick jungle of thorny bushes, and moving forward under a heavy fire of round and grape shot, entered the jungle, through which it was impossible to move in anything like a con ft lino, and beyond which the Sikhs were formed. It .is hire that the gallant (^olonel Bolton received hi» loath-wound ; — his la«t emphatic words to the men were, '■'■ Steadij , thiuty-I'IUST, ' I 1 on IIUNTINODONtHinB RBOIMBNT OF FOOT. 121 and Jire lowy^ — when man and horse camt down to- 1845 gcthcr; but ho did not allow himself to be removed from the field until the action was over. The regi- ment now found itfolf in front of a battery of fourteen or fifteen guns. By this time the men were falling quickly under scvoro discharges of grape from the guns, a few yards only distant, which were also pro- tected by a battalion of infantry, from which withering volleys were sent into the ranks of the thirty-first, who, however, returned it with interest, and the in- trepid valour of the men bore down all opposition. Ono continued fire from the regiment laid low nearly the whole of the enemy's artillery-men opposed to its - part of the lino, while the bayonet disposed of such of the remainder of the foe as had not time to save them • selves by flight. The opposition of the Sikhs was desperate ; but nothing could resist the bravery of the British troops, who drove them from one position after another with great slaughter : all their advanced guns rcma' -3d in the hands of the British. It WiS not till an hour and a half after sunset that this hand to hand (ionfiict was over, when the rolling of musketry gradually died away, and the British found themselves undisputed masters of the field. Soon after the commencement of the action, Lieut.-Colonel Byrne being severely wounded, the command of the regi- ment devolved upon Major Spence, the senior major. The regiment, being much broken and scattered over the field in pursuit of the enemy, was reformed in quarter-distance column, and marched back to within about a mile of Moodkee, where it bivouacked on the sand until daylight, and then returned to camp. In this short but hard-fought action the regiment suffered severely. Of 30 officers and 844 men, who -n H: 123 HISTORICAL RECORD OP THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1845 went into action, 9 officers and 155 rank and file were killed or wounded. > v The following officers were killed or wounded in the action at Moodkec : — Lieut. -Colonel Byrne , . Severely , , Captain Willes . . . Mortally , , „ Bulkeley , . Dangerously , , „ Young . . • Dangerously , , „ Lugard . . . Slightly , , Lieut. Pollard. . . . Slightly ,, „ H. W. Hart . . Killed. „ Brenchley . . Mortally , , * Assistant-Surgeon Gahan, 1 iyr-_taiiv 9th foot, doing duty . f Mof'a"y In this action Lieutenant Bolton, of the twenty-first Fusiliers, acted as aide-de-camp to his father Brigadier Bolton. The army was commanded in the action by General Sir Hugh Gough, the Commander-in-Chief, aided by the counsel and military experience of the Governor- General, Sir Henry Hardinge. The following extract is taken from the despatch of the Commander in- Chief, dated 19th of December, 1845:— " The opposition of the enemy was such as might " have been expected from troops who had every- " thing at stake, and who had long vaunted of being •' irresistible. Their ample and extended line, from their "great superiority of numbers, far out-flanked ours; " but this was counteracted by the Jlank movements *' of our cavalry. The attack of the infantry now " commenced ; and the roll of fire from this powerful " arm soon convinced the Sikh army that they had ■** On the death of Assistant-Surgeon Gahan, Assistant-Surgeon Patrick Gammie, of the 80th regiment, was appointed to take medical charge of the THiBTT-FiBST regiment. OR IIUNTINODONSUIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 123 " met with a foo they little expected ; and their whole 1845 " force WAS driven from position after position with " great slaughter, and the loss of seventeen pieces of " artillery, some of them of heavy calibre ; our infantry " using that never-failing weapon, the bayonet, " whenever the enemy stood. Night only saved them *' from worse disaster, for this stout conflict was " maintained during an hour and a half of dim starlight, " amidst a cloud of dust from the sandy plain, which " yet more obscured every object. " I regret to say, this gallant and successful attack *' was attended with considerable loss. The force " bivouacked upon the field for some hours, and only « returned to its encampment after ascertaining that it *' had no enemy before it, and that night prevented the " possibility of a regular advance in pursuit. * * * " I have every reason to be proud of, and gratified " with, the exertions of the whole of the officers and " troops of this army on this arduous occasion." It appears from the list of killed and wounded, that the first or Major-General Sir Henry Smith's division bore the brunt of the action at Moodkee, as the casual- ties in that division outnumbered those of the other two infantry divisions united, as will be seen by the following published list : — FiBST Division of Infantry. Officer*. Native Officers. Seijeants. Killed .4 1 4 Wounded 18 8 20 Total . 22 8 24 Sbcond Division of Infantbt. Killed ... 1 Wounded 4 6 10 Bank & File. 69 299 368 17 81 Total . 4 6 10 98 134 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, ,:i |if , -■'. ) ( Im 'f ■ ' ' .1 1 it,' ; f 1846 Thied Division of Infantry. Officers. Native Officers. Serjeants. Killed .1 .. 1 Wounded 1 . . 4 Total . 2 Rank & File. 6 73 79 The army of the Sikhs amounted, it is said, to upwards of 32,000 men of all arms. The British force did not amount to more tl.an one-third of that number. Thus terminated the battle of Moodkee, the first action in which the Sikhs measured their &,trcngth with British troops in the field. The following extracts are taken from an account <'f tho battle of Moodkee : — "Between the 11th and 18th the army had marched " over a distance of 160 miles, along roads of heavy " sand ; the incessant toil scarcely leaving them leisure " to cook their food. Hardly an hour of repose was ** allowed them when they were summoned to renewed "ox'^ition. On the 18th the army took up their en- " camping ground in n-ont of Moodkee. Our troops " had scarcely time to prepare their food, when intel- " ligcncc was brought that the enemy, 30,000 strong, " was close at hand. It was about three o'clock p.m. ; *♦ tho men were tired with incessant work, suffering " from scarcity of water, and exhausted for want of " nourishment and rest. The instant the order was " given, however, they turned out with the utmost " alacrity, as if fresh from their lines." After describing the preliminary movements of the cavalry and artillery, the narrator proceeds : — " The afternoon was by this time far spent, and the " evening at hand. The infantry, under Generals OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 125 " Smith, Gilbert, and McCaskill, pushed on inechellon 1845 " right for the enein3'''s line, now nearly invisible from " the wood and approaching darkness. We were out- " flanked and fearfully out-numbered. The struggle " was tremendous. The Sikhs fought with the fury " of desperate men. Nothing could resist the daunt- " less courage of our troops, and fearful was the storm " of musketry poured forth by them as they rushed. " The bayonet, — the never-failing resource of British " soldiers, — completed the confusion and havoc the " musketry had begun. Every position was forced ; the " enemy driven from the ground tHey had so well '* selected, and for a time so obstinately maintained ; " and night found eighteen pieces of artillery in our " possession. Darkness only saved them from extreme " disaster ; and so fierce and unrelenting had been the " fray, that it was maintained through an hour of dim " starlight, while the dust of the sandy plain added to " the obscurity of the advancing night. Pursuit was " impossible, and the troops bivouacked on the field." The following officers were present with the regi»nent at the battle of Moodkee on the 1 8th of Pccember : — Colonel S. Bolton, C.B. (Corn- Lieut. W. F. Atty. manding the first brigade). > > J. L.R. Pollard. Lt..Col John Byrne {commanding » » H. W. Hart. the regiment). » > Robert Law. Major James Spence. > J J. P. Robertson. » » G. Baldwin. J » Graham Elmslie. Capt. W. G. WiUes. J » Poole Gabbett. 1 1 T. Bulkeley. > ) S. J. Timbrell. ! ) G. D. Young. > ) John Brenchley. > J G. F. White {Acting J ' A. Pilkington. Paymaster). » > E. A. Noel. » > J. Garvock. Ensign James Paul. J ) D. F. Longworth. > > H. P. Hutton. > > E. Lugard. > » C. H. G. Tritton. Lieut. T. H. Flasket. Adjt. William Bernard 126 HISTORICAL RECORD OP THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1845 Q'M. Samuel Benison. A. Surg. G. W. Macready. David ? iewart. )* Lieut. A. S. Bolton {H. M. 2\st Fusiliers, doing duty) , Surg. R. B. Gahan {H, M. 9 ** size, was opem' i by the tMiemy. The right wiiij^, " under Sir Hugh '^iough, threw themsclveHwith ina* V " less gallantry on the guns, and wrested thcni frovn thi; •* enemy, when the storm of shot from the Sikh infantry " behind became so fearful, that a portion only of the '' intrenchments could be carried, when darkncsH \nit " an end to the conflict. " Night had now closed in ; the carnage had proved " iremcndous; our men thinned in numbers, harasHed " with forced marches, exhausted with fatigue, with " little food and scarcely any water, and nothing what " ever to cover them from the chill and heavy dew aH «' the evening advanced, bivouacked amidst the ilying " and the dead, close under the intrcnchmentB, an;I " within reach of the shot of the enemy. All night long " their artillery played upon us, and as the waning mooti " showed them our position, the cannon-shot ploughed " up the gr; iHvl right through, and amidst the wearied " soldiers ' Monting Hi length approached, and our troopswerc " once more arrayed for the fight. With daylight came " retribution and triumph to our arms. Our infantry •' was formed in line, supported on both flanks by tlu; "horse artibei'y. A masked battery now began to |)lay " on us with fearful effect ; the heavy shot of the Sikhs " dismounted our guns ; nine of our tumbrils wore blowji " up. A general charge was now determined on; amidol " a terrific storm of shot and shell, the troops rushed on " undismayed; the carnage was fearful: battery after " battery was carried at the bayonet's point ; the cam]) " was pierced w.th loaded mines, which exploded with " fearful slaughter as we advanced. The village of " Ferozcshah was ^.tormcd, and the enemy driven out of ^il/^i^.-! % OK IIUNTIN(iD<)NMIIIUK IIUOIMKNT OF FOOT. 133 " it at every point. When changing its front to the left, IB-l.'j " our force continued to sweep the camp.carrying every- " thing before them, " Undisturbed and itnbroken by the fearful service in " which they had I »i'en engaged, the troops drew up, when " the camp wan won, and halted to cheer their generals " on the field they liad JuNtconcjuered, with thcregu arity " uf a parade. Seventy-three guna had now been kn; " 20 more quickly il-ll into our hands. We had " Europe m and 17 Native oflicers, with 630 ii< • missioned officern and rank and file, — nearly 70v .,. ..-,. " killed. Our caHualties in killed and wounded " amounted to 2115." The Commander-in-Chief in his despatch to the (iovcinor-(jeneral, after the battle oi Ferozcshali, bears the following tctttimimy of his a])probation of the gallant conduct of the army under his command on that glorious occasion. At the conclusion of the despatch General Sir Hugh Qough stated : — " On the conclusion of such a narrative as 1 have " given, it is surely superfluous in me to say, that I am, " and shall be, to the last moment ofmy existence, proud " of the army which I had the honor to command on the " 'ilst and 22nd instant. To its gallant exertions I owe " the satisfaction of seeing such a victory achieved, and " the glory of having my own name associated with it." On receipt in London of the despatch of the Governor- General of India, announcing the victories ofMoodkee and Feroieshahf the thanks of both Houses of Parliament were voted unanimously to the Governor-General, the Right Honorable Lieu tenant-General Sir Henry Har- (linge, — to General Sir Hugh Gough, Bart., the Com- mundir-in-Chief,— -and to the several officers under their ^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) >* 9s ^ ,^ '^e 1.0 I.I 11.25 iti|21 125 I" Ki 122 12.0 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 33 WHT MAIN STRUT WIMTRR.N.Y. I4SM (716) 173.4503 4s ?■. , 6^ i ^ r Is ,i ■::s ■;1lii IS ■^i|»f «^ 91- I ,134 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1845 command^ — for the eminent services rendered by them in the recent arduous and successful operations ; — also to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers, European and Native, for the perseverance and fortitude main- tained by them at Moodhee on the I8th of December, 1845^ and for the daring valour with which they forced the enemy's intrenchments at Ferozeshah on the 21st and 22nd of December, captured most of his guns, and finally compelled the Sikh army, of greatly superior numbers, to retire within their own frontiers. The thanks of the Court of East India Directors were voted to the army of the Sutlej at the same time. The Court of East India Directors confirmed the grant of a medal to all the otficers and soldiers engaged in the battles of Moodhee and Ferozeshah^ denoting that they served in this important campaign. On the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of December, the army bivouacked on the field of battle, having been, since the morning of the 20th, without tents^ or any regular supply of food ; and owing to the extreme heat by day, and intense cold by night, both officers and men had suffered much. On the 24th the troops changed their ground about four miles to Sultan Khan Walla, and three days afterwards the regimental baggage arrived. At Sultan Khan Walla they remained seven days ; the whole army was then moved to the banks of the Sutlej, not far from the fort of Hurreekee, where large camps were formed. For nearly a week after these terrible encounters, the Sikhs remained on the British side of tne Sutlej, the army being unable to follow up its victory, as the troops, which were on their march to join, had not yet arrived ; the heavy artillery, which was on the march from Cawnpore, was still very distant, OR HUNTINOOON8HIRE REOUIENT OF FOOT. 135 and until the whole of the army was concentrated, it 1845 would be impossible to attack the enemy, who had again collected a formidable force of 70,000 men, with 1 10 pieces of ordnance, which were encamped on the oppo- site side of the river, and ready to oppose the British. In the meantime the wounded officers and soldiers had been removed to the hospital at Fcrozepore. Lieut.-Colonel Byrne being prevented from re- suming the command of the regiment by the severe wound he received at Moodkee, Major Spence con- tinued to exercise the command during the arduous con- flict of the 21st and 22nd of December at Ferozeshah, where he showed an example of bravery to his dis- tinguished regiment. He was ably supported by every Officer and Man under his command. All nobly performed their duty on this well- contested field. Colonel Bolton, being mortally wounded at Moodkee, died on the 4th January, 1846;* and the Commander- in-Chief promoted Major Spence, the senior major, to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the regiment. Major Baldwin also died of the wounds received at Ferozeshah.t Captains Bulkeley and Young were promoted to the vacant majorities, a promotion which they justly merited for their gallant conduct at Mood- kee, where both these officers were severely wounded. Captain Willes, a meritorious and deserving officer, also died of the wounds received at Moodkee. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, now greatly reduced in numbers from the heavy loss, both of officers and men, sustained in the late arduous conflicts, still preserved its spirit and * Vide Memoir of Colonel Bolton, inserted in Appendix, page 225. t Vide Memoir of Major Baldwin, inserted in Appendix, page 230. 136 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIHST, ! 1815 energy, and was ready at a moment's notice to be led on to future victories. On the 30th of December, the Governor- General published a General Order, congratulating the Army on the recent victories, from which the following are ex- tracts : *' The Governor-General again cordially congratu- " lates His Excellency Sir Hugh Gough, G.C B., on " the great and important victories obtained by the " army under his command. " The Governor- General, in the name of the govern- " ment and of the people of India, gratefully acknow- " ledges the noble services rendered to the public by " His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, by all the " General and other Officers, and by the Non-Commis- '• sioned Officers and Soldiers of the brave Indian *' army. " The Governor-General's thanks are due to all the " infantry regiments of Her Majesty, and to the first " European Light Infantry of the East India Company's •* Service, all of which regiments distinguished them- '* sc^ " by the most devoted courage in braving the " d ..ctivcfireoftheenemy'sbatteries, and valiantly '• capturing their guns." ****** Thus ended the year 1 845. The Sikhs, after having suifered two severe defeats, were preparing to renew the contest ; they had made large additions to their army, and had again collected a formidable train of artillery. 1846 On the 16th of January, 1846, the first brigade, with a few guns and some Native cavalry, received sudden orders to march on the following morning in the direction of Loodiana, under the command of Major- Geneial Sir Henry Smith; by a forced march on the OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 137 17th, the fort oi' Dhurmmkoie vfas surprised, and the 1846 garrison, consisting of about three hundred men, laid down their arms, and were sent prisoners to head- quarters. On the 20th of the same month, this division was reinforced near the fort of Jugraon by the six- teenth lancers, the fifty-third foot, a detachment of recruits of the Queen's regiments, and a troop of horse artillery. ' The Major-General decided on attempting the relief of Loodiana, which was but slightly garrisoned, and was threatened by a large body of the enemy. Jugraon is distant from Loodiana about twenty-five miles, and the road (if road it can be called) is over a heavy and sandy soil. The troops were formed, and commenced their march about one o'clock on the morning of the 21st; about eleven a.m. the enemy was observed to be drawn up, parallel with the British line of march, in a strong position at Buddiwal, his front covered by a ridge of low sand-hills, bristling with forty pieces of artillery, which were so placed that it was necessary, in order to gain Loodiana, either to risk a battle to dislodge him from a strong position, — which, Avith troops fatigued by a long march, under a burning sun, and greatly inferior in numbers, would have been a hazardous proceeding, — or to march along the entire front of his position under a galling fire. Major-General Sir Henry Smith, having a just con- fidence in the steadiness of his troops, chose the latter. The infantry, formed in open column of companies right in front (the grenadier company of the thirty-first leading), and ready at any moment to form line, pre- ceded by the artillery, and covered by the cavalry, marched at a distance of five hundred yards, along the ■ ,?.,. 138 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 front of this fonnidablo line, rccciiing the fire of each battery as it bore upon them. The regiment formed line on the grenadier company. On this occasion, and under the fire of forty guns, the THIRTY-FIRST received an order from Sir Henry Smith to change front to the rear on the centre, a movement which was rendered necessary by the man- oeuvres of the enemy, who had thrown forward his right in such a manner as to get into the rear of the British ; this movement could not be attempted without the most perfect steadiness on the part of the men, and it was performed in such a manner as to call forth the praises of the Major-General. This was the first time this manoeuvre was ever done under fire of the enemy ; after which, the retirement of corps in line, covered by the sixteenth lancers, to relieve Loodiana (the object being to relieve that place), was beautifully executed. The Sikh position being passed, and the enemy declining to follow, by three o'clock in the afternoon the troops arrived at Loodiana, thus effecting Sir Henry Smith's object. In this affair the thirty-firht lost 21 men killed and wounded ; and 19 men, who had, from the length and severity of the march, been unable to keep up with the column, were taken prisoners. The greatest part of the baggage belonging to the division was taken by the enemy. Cn the 22nd and 23rd the troops were permitted to rest themselves after their late fatigues, and on the 24th the enemy retired to Aliwal, a village on the Sutlej. The British force moved to the ground lately occupied by them at Buddiwal, where it was reinforced by the second brigade of Sir Henry Smith's division, consisting of Her Majesty's fiftieth foot. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 139 and forty-eighth Native infantry, from head-quarters, 1846 with some cavalry and infantry from Loodiana. On the 28th of January at daylight, Major- General Sir Henry Smith marched with his whole force to attack the enemy under Sirdar Runjoor Singh and the Rajah of Ladwa in their camps at Aliwal, but found him, on approaching it, drawn up in line of battle, with his left resting on the village. From information after- wards received, it appeared that the Sikhs were about to march upon Jugraon that very morning, for the purpose of getting between Sir Henry Smith's force and the heavy guns coming up from Delhi under a very slender escort. The march having been pre- viously conducted in column of brigades at deploying distance, each brigade deployed on its leading company, and thus formed one long line. The troops advanced on the enemy, distant about one mile and a half, and about ten a.m. the action was commenced by a heavy cannonade from the Sikh artillery, which was prin- cipally directed on the British centre. The village of Aliwal was filled with infantry, supported by cavalry in the rear, and further defended by two guns on its left, immediately opposite that part of the line occupied by the thirty-first regiment. The village was carried, and the two guns were captured. The line, being somewhat disordered in carrying the village, was quickly re-formed, and advanced in excel- lent order, carrying everything before it. The attack of the enemy by the left wing was equally success- ful. The line advanced, and made a steady and successful charge; the enemy, being everywhere beaten, gave way, and fled towards the river in the utmost confusion, leaving his camp and fifty-two pieces h i' *!5*: ■'II I' I f 140 UI6T0RICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY- FIRiT, 1846 of artillery, as trophies in the hands of the victory. A standard was captured hero by the thirty- firht regiment ; also a gurry, or gong.* The advance of the British force in order of battle is thus described by Major- General Sir Henry Smith in his despatch containing an account of the action : — " As I neared the enemy, the ground became most " favourable for troops to manoeuvre, being open and " hard grass-land. I ordered the cavalry to take " ground to the right and left by brigades, thus " displaying the heads of the infantry columns, and as '' they reached the high ground, I directed thcni to " deploy into line. After deployment I observed the " enemy's left to outflank me ; I therefore broke into '' open columns and took ground to my right ; when 1 " had gained sufficient ground, the troops wheeled into "line: there was no dust; the sun shone brightly. •' These manoeuvres were performed with the celerity '' and precision of the most correct field-day ; the *• glistening of the bayonets and the swords of this " order of b{ ttle was most imposing, and the line " advanced. Scarcely had it moved forward 1 50 paces, *• when at tea o'clock the enemy opened a fierce *" Shortly after the storming of the village of Aliwal, au European oflScer in the Sikh service was given in charge to the regiment, having surrendered himself as a prisoner to an officer of one of the cavalry regiments in the Company's service. He said his servant had galloped off with his charger, and, being rather stout, preferred giving himself up to the chance of running away ; his name was John Potter, a native of Maidstone in Kent; he had deserted from the Company's Artillery twenty years before, and was at this period a Colonel of Artillery in the Sikh service, having a native wife and family at Lahore. At first he was kept a very strict prisoner, but the severity of his confinement was gradually relaxed, and when the army encamped before Lahore, he v,.\s released altogether. The Governor-General afterwards per- mitted him to hold an appointment in the Sikh service. OR HUNTINODON8IIIRE REQIMBNT OF FOOT. 141 « cannonade from his whole line. At first his balls 1846 " fell short, but quickly reached us. Thus upon him, " and capable of better ascertaining his position, I <' was compelled to halt the line, though under fire, for *< a few moments, until I ascertained that by bringing " up my right, and carrying the village of Aliwal, I (< could with great effect precipitate myself on his left " and centre ; I therefore quickly brought up Brigadier <* Godby*s brigade, and, with it and the first brigade '* under Brigadier Hicks, made a rapid and noble charge, <' curried the village and two guns of large calibre. " The line I ordered to advance. Her Majesty's thirty- '' FIRST regiment and the Native regiments contend- " ing for the front, the battle became general. * * * " The battle was won ; our troops advancing with the " most perfect order to the common focus, the passage " of the river. The enemy, completely hemmed in, " were flying from our fire, and precipitating themselves " in disordered masses into the ford and boats, in the " utmost confusion and consternation. * * * " Thus ended the Battle of Aliwal, one of the most " glorious victories ever achieved in India. By the " united efforts of Her Majesty's and the Honorable " Company's troops, every gun the enemy had, fell into " our hands : fifty-: .o guns are now in the Ordnance, " two sunk in the bed of the Sutlej, and two spiked on " the opposite bank, making a total of fifty-six pieces " of cannon captured or destroyed ! " Having thus done justice, and justice alone, to the " gallant troops his Excellency trusted to my command, " I would gladly, if the limits of a despatch permitted " me, do that justice to individuals all deserve. This " cannot be; therefore I must confine myself to mention lin J I I 148 IIISTORICAL RECORD OF THE TdlRTY-FIIlHT, 1840"thoto officers whose continued services, experience, " And standing placed them in conspicuous cotn- " mands." After luuding the gallant Hcrvice performed by the artillery. Sir Henry Smith proceeds to state in his ofllcial despatch : — " To Brigadiers MacDowell and Sted man, command- " ing thoir gallant brigades of cavalry, the fortune of " the day is greatly indebted, and to all commanding '* officers of cavalry and infantry my warmest thanks " arc due ; to Major Smyth, commanding the sixteenth " lancers ; to Licut.-Colonel Spence, commanding Her " Majesty's TUIRTY-FIR8T foot ; to Lieutl-Colonel Ryan, " KiH., commanding Her Majesty's fiftieth regiment; " and to Lieut.-Colonel Phillips, commanding Her ** Majesty's fifty-third foot. " His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief having " witnessed the glorious services of Her Majesty's " THIRTY-FIRST and fiftieth regiments, I have only to " report upon Her Majesty's fifty-third, a young regi- " ment, but veterans in daring gallantry and rcgu- " larity. " To Captain Lugard (thirty-first regiment) the '* Assistant- Adjutant- General of this force, I am deeply " indebted, and the service still more so ; a more cool, " intrepid, and trustworthy officer cannot be brought " forward. " The brigadiers all speak in high terms of their '' majors of brigade. Captain O'Hanlan, of the second " brigade, and Captain Garvock, of Her Majesty's " thirty-first foot, of the first brigade." The loss of the thirty-first regiment in this conflict was fortunately small : one officer, Lieut. Atty, slightly OR IIUNTINODONSUIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 143 wounded, and fifteen men killed and wounded. The 1846 troops bivouacked for the night near the field of battle. The army remained at Aliwal five days, during which the following General Order was received from General Sir Hugh Gough, the Commander-in-Chief: — " General Orders to the Army of the Sutlej. " Head-Quartera, Camp, Nihalkeo, '* 20th January, 1846. " A glorious victory, with the capture of all the " enemy's guns, having been achieved by tho force " under Major-Goncral Sir Henry Smith, K.C.B., tho <' whole line will parade at eight o'clock this morning " for the inspection of the Right Honorable the " Governor- General and his Excellency tho Com- " mander-in-Chicf, and a royal salute will be fired " from tho eighteen-pounder battery, and three cheers '* will be given by the line after the salute, in cele- " bration of this triumphant event." The following extract is taken from the General Orders issued by the Governor- General, dated "Camp, Ferozcporc, 2nd of February, 1846 :" — " Great praise is due to Brigadier Hicks, who, with " Her Majesty's thirty-first regiment, the twenty- *' fourth and forty-seventh Native infantry, stormed " the village of Aliwal, drove the enemy from it, and *' seized the guns by which it was defended." Extract of the despatch of the Governor-General of India to the Secret Committee, dated " Camp, Kanha Kutchwa, 19th of February, 1846:"— *' The immediate result of the victory of Aliwal " was the evacuation by the Sikh garrisons of all the " forts hitherto occupied by detachments of Lahore " soldiers on this side of the river Sutlej, and the sub- 144 IIIflTOniCAT, nECORD OF Tlin TIirnTY-PIBflT, 184G •' inisHiun of the whole of the territory on the left bank " of that river to the British government. " Tho Sikh army remained in itH intrenched po«i- ** tion ; and though, on tho firett intelligence of tho vie- ** tory of Aliwal, and at tho sight of the numerous bodies " which floated from the neighbourhood of that battle- " field to the bridge of boats at Sobraon, tho Sikhn " seemed much shaken and disheartened, —yet after a " few days, the Sikh troops seemed to be as confident an ** ever of being able to defy us in their intrenched poii- " tion, and to prevent our passage of tho river. " Tho Commander-in-Chief was not in a state to take " advantage of the enemy's defeat at AHwaly by an ** attack on his intrenched position at Sobraon, until the " troops under Major-General Sir Henry Smith should *' have rejoined his Excellency's camp, and tho siogo- '^ train and ammunition should have arrived from Delhi. '' The first portion of the siege-train, with the reserved " ammunition for 100 guns, reached tho Commander-in- " Chiefs camp on the 7th and 8th of February. On " the latter day the brigades, which had been detached " from the main army, rejoined the Commander-in- -Chief." Notwithstanding the signal defeat in tho battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, and Aliwal, and the loss of 143 pieces of artillery captured by the British in those actions, the enemy determined to persevere in his ranh project of invading the British dominions. For this purpose he made extraordinary efforts ; ho had collected all his available troops, and assembled a large army on the leA bank of the Sutlej, near tho village of Sohraon. Here the Sikhs formed an intrenched cani[), defended by 30,000 men with 70 pieces of artillery ; OR IIITNTINODONSIIIRR REGIMENT OF FOOT. 145 this camp was ■upportcd by a large roaorvo on the 184G oppoiito Bide of tho river, tho communication being prcsorvod by a bridge of boats. Tho THIRTY-FIRST rogimont, under its distinguished and experienced leader, Major-Ocneral Sir Henry Smith, rejoined the head-quarter camp on the 8th of February, Just in time for the crowning and decisive victory of Sobraon. The arrival of Sir Henry Smith's force enabled tho Commander-in-Chief to carry his plan of attacking the enemy into execution. Two days were allowed, that this division should rest after its fatigues. The entrenched camp of the Sikhs was in a position judiciously chosen in a bend of the river, about five or six miles from the British camp. The defences of tho enemy were constructed st.ontifically by European engineers. On the morning of tho 10th of February, some hours before daylight, the several divisions were silently formed in column of attack. Major-General Sir Henry Smith's division was on the extreme right ; it was formed into two lines; the first line consisted of the first brigade, to which the thirty-first regiment belonged, under Lieut.-Colonel Spcnce: this line was supported by the second brigade at a short distance in the rear. When the day dawned, the first brigade found itself about three-quarters of a mile in front of the enemy's works. The cannonading, which com- menced a little after daylight, continued with little interruption, until about nine a.m. A stray shot was now and then sent at the regiment, but did no damage, when orders were given to the infantry to advance to the attack. The men, who had been L i0t 146 HISTORICAL RECOnD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 lying down, instantly jumped up, formed line, and advanced. The ground imtnediatcly in front of the enemy's works Mras very irregular, which made it difficult foi- the men to keep their places. The enemy's fire, which commenced at a distance of two or three hundred yards, grew gradually n;::,ro and more heavy; and firing, as the Sikhs did, from behind lofty entrenchments at the assaulting party, who offered a fair mark as they scrambled up the ramparts, they shot down a number of the British troops, while the survivors, after in vain attempting to reach the top, the loose nature of the soil rendering the footing extremely insecure, were com- pelled to fall back on the advancing second brigade, who saw with indignation that the enemy were hacking the wounded. The line was quickly re-formed and advanced a second time ; the same determined resistance was again made : but the men, burning to revenge their comrades, would not be deterred. Hero Lieut. Tritton, bearing the Queen's colour, was shot through the head ; and Ensign Jones,* who carried the regimental colour, was, nearly at the same time, mortally wounded ; the regimental colour, falling to the ground, was seized by Serjeant Bernard M'Cabe, who, rushing forward, crossed the ditch and planted it on the ramparts. The men cheer- ing, scrambled into the works as best they could, and drove the enemy, who were beaten at all points, before them into the river, Lieut. Noel gallantly carrying the Queen's colour in front of the regiment, the staff of which was shivered in his hand. * This officer was promoted from Quartermaster-Serjeant to Ensign after the liattle of Fero/cshnh. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 147 The attack having been everywhere successful, the 1846 slaughter of the Sikhs, as they crossed the river, was tremendous. Many casualties, however, in theTHiRTT- FiRST regiment occurred within the enemy's works. Lieutenant Timbrell was dangerously wounded by a grape-shot, which broke both his thighs, and Lieutenant Elmslie was also severely wounded by a musket-ball. Captain Garvock, Major of Brigade, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Bolton, were both severely wounded outside the works, where Lieutenants Gabbett and Law were also wounded. Thirty-five rank and file were killed, and 102 wounded. Two stands of colours were captured by the regi- ment, making four stands altogether. The first brigade, on this glorious occasion, was com- manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Spence, whose horse was shot during the advance, and the sword in his hand bent nearly double by a grape-shot. Captain White, the senior Captain, being left sick at Loodiana, from the effects of the sun on service. Captain Longworth commanded th« regiment during the action. He was promoted for his gallant conduct to be major in the army ; his horse was killed under him. Captains Garvock and Lugard were also pro- moted to be majors in the army on the same occasion. The following account of the action is given in Captain Longworth's despatch, dated 1 1th of February, 1846 :— « Sir, " Camp, Attia, llth February, 1846. " I have the honor to state for the information of " the Brigadier, that H. M.'s thirty-first regiment, '* under my command, marched from Camp Tulwon- " dee yesterday morning at four a.m., in quarter dis- l2 148 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIK8T, 1846 " (( (( {( (t (( {( (( t( (( (( (( (( « (i i( (( (( (( (( (( ft (( (( (( « « « It tance column, right in front, being the k v* / regiment of the first brigade, first division. W^ . id- vanced in this order till within about two miles of the enemy's position, and then halted, formed line, and waited till daybreak, when we advanced some dis- tance and halted till sunrise, and again advancing halted with our right resting on the Sutlej within range of the enemy's guns ; here we remained about two hours, when we were ordered to advance. This was no sooner discovered by the enemy than they opened upon us a most tremendous fire of round shot from the whole of the guns upon the left flank of their intrenched camp ; shell, grape, canister, and a very heavy fire of musketry were showered upon us as we neared the fortifications : but in spite of this, I am proud to say, the regiment advanced steadily and in the best order till within thirty paces of the intrenched camp, when a most destructive fire from overpowering numbers forced us to retire to a short distance, for the purpose of re-forming, as we left a full third of the regiment upon the ground ; and I feel convinced that had the regiment remained for five minutes longer in its exposed situation it must have been an- nihilated, as our fire was totally ineffectual against the enemy's strongly fortified position, which com- pletely protected them, until by a desperate charge, in conjunction with H. M.'s Fiftieth Regiment, we succeeded in penetrating the extremity of their works extending to the river, and thereby were enabled to b Ing our fire to bear upon their gunners, who with the most desperate courage turned their guns upon the portion of their own camp in our possession, and fought till bayoneted where they stood. Their in- OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 149 fantry in masses now retiring, we followed them up, 1846 and, in concert with the other branches of the army, shot and bayoneted them into the river, where im- mense numbers were brought down by our fire. Shortly after the battle was over the regiment was ordered into camp. " I beg to bring to your notice the gallant conduct of Serjeant M'Cabe of the light company, who planted the regimental colour on the highest point of the enemy's fortifications, and maintained his position under a most tremendous fire, the colour being com- pletely riddled by the enemy's shot ; — he did this after the officer carrying the colour was shot. I beg further to bring to your notice Private Williams of No. 7 company, and Private Biffin of the light company, who each took a colour from the enemy, one of which is sup- posed to have belonged to their artillery. 1 have much pleasure in expressing my high approbation of both officers and men under my command for their gallant conduct throughout the day. I regret to add that Lieutenant Law, my second in command, and Lieu- tenant and Adjutant Bolton, were both severely wounded. " List of Officers who were present at the Battle of Sobraon. Lieut.-Colonel Spence. Lieutenant Gabbett. Captain Garvock. ,, Timbrell. „ Longworth. „ Noel. ,, Lugard. ,, Paul. Lieutenant Atty. ,, Hutton. „ Law. ,, Tritton. „ Robertson. Ensign Jones. ,, Bolton {Adjutant). Quarter-Master Benison." ,, Elmslie. * This part of the action is represented in the engraving of the thibtit- FIR8T regiment at the battle of Sobraon. [ 5i" I ; ! I' m mmm 150 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 On the 14th of February, 1846, the Governor-Gene- ral published a General Order, dated from his camp at Kussoor, from which the following extracts are taken : — "The Governor- General, having received from his " Excellency the Commander-in-Chief the despatch " annexed) announces to the army and to the people of *' India, for the fourth time during this campaign, a " most important and memorable victory obtained by " the army of the Sutlej over the Sikh forces at *' Sobraon, on the 10th instant. "On that day the enemy's strongly intrenched " camp, defended by 35,000 men and 67 pieces of "artillery, exclusive of heavy guns on the opposite " bank of the river, was stormed by the British Army " under the immediate command of His Excellency " Sir Hugh Gough, and in two hours the Sikh forces " were driven into the river with immense loss, " 67 guns being captured by the victors. " The Governor-General most cordially congratu- " lates the Commander-in-Chief and the British Army " on this exploit, one of the most daring ever achieved, " by which in open day a triple line of breastworks, " flanked by formidable redoubts, bristling with " artillery, manned by thirty-two regular regiments of •' infantry, was assaulted, and carried by the forces " under His Excellency's command. " This important operation was most judiciously " preceded by a cannonade from the heavy howitzers " and mortars, which had arrived from Delhi on the " 8th of February, the same day on which the forces " under Major-Gcneral Sir Henry Smith, which had " been detached to Loodiana, and had gained the victory *' of Aliwal, rejoined the Commander-in-Chiefs camp. OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 151 " The British infantry, formed on the extreme left 1846 " of the line, then advanced to the assault, and, iq " spite of every impediment, cleared the intrenchments " and entered the enemy's camp. Her M ajesty's tenth, •'fifty- third, and eightieth regiments, moving at a firm " and steady pace, never fired a shot until they had " passed the barriers opposed to them, a forbearance " much to be commended, and most worthy of constant " imitation, to which may be attributed the success of " their first effort, and the small loss they sustained. " 7'he attack was crowned with the success it deserved ! " The same gallant efforts, attended by the same " success, distinguished the attack on the enemy's left, " made by the first division, under the command of •* Major-General Sir Henry Smith, K.C.B., in which " the troops nobly sustained their former reputa- " tion. " These three divisions of infantry, concentrated " within the enemy's camp, drove the shattered forces " into the river, with a loss which far exceeded that " which the most experienced officers had ever " witnessed. " Thus terminated, in the brief space of two hours, •' this most remarkable conflict, in which the military " combinations of the Commander-in-Chief were fully " and ably carried into effect with His Excellency's " characteristic energy ; the enemy's select regiments of " regular infantry have been dispersed, and a large " portion destroyed, with the loss, since the campaign " began, of 220 pieces of artillery taken in action. * * * " The Governor-General, in the name of the Govern- " mcnt and of the people of India, offers to His Exccl- " lency the Commander-in-Chief, — to the General 152 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1 1 ^ Jdl^ r -•',■ ft ImI 1 i' 1846 " Officers, and all the Officers and Troops under their " command, his grateful and heartfelt acknowledgments " for the services they have performed. • * * '* The Governor-General acknowledges the meritori- " ous conduct of Brigadier Penny, and Lieut.-Colonel " Spence,* commanding brigades in the first division." " Her Majesty's thirty-first and fiftieth regiments " greatly distinguished themselves, as well as the forty- " second and forty-seventh native infantry, and the " Nusseeree battalion." The despatch of the Commander in-Chief, General Sir Hugh Gough, to the Governor- General, dated Camp, Kussoor, 13th of February, 1846, giving a de- tailed account of the battle of Sobraon, contained the following expressions of approbation and thanks : — " I have now to make the attempt, — difficult, nay " impracticable, though I deem it, — of expressing in " adequate terms my sense of obligation to those who " especially aided me by their talents and self-devotion " in the hard-fought field of Sobraon. " The major-generals of the divisions engaged " deserve far more commendation than I am able, *' within the limits of a despatch, to bestow. ♦ • * " Brigadier Penny and Lieut.-Colonel Spence com- " manded the two brigades of Major-General Sir Henry " Smith's division, and overcame at their head the '* most formidable opposition. I beg to bring both in •' the most earnest manner to your notice. • * * " The Sikhs, even when at particular points their " intrenchments were mastered with the bayonet. * In some copies of this General Order it was erroneously stated that Brigadier Hicks commanded the first brigade : he was not at the battle of Sobra(Hi. ^ 1 ^\ V I I 1 e eq (a eo fcj CO < ^ I ^''Sfc.j IP •sii OR HUMTINOOON8HIRB RIOIMBMT OP FOOT. 153 " strove to regain them by the fiercest conflict, sword in 1846 " hand. Nor was it until the cavalry of the left, under " Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, had moved " forward and ridden through the openings in the " intrenchments made by our sappers, in single file, " and reformed as they passed them ; and the third "light dragoons, whom no obstacle usually held " formidable by horse appears to check, had, on this " day, as at Ferozeshah, galloped over and cut down " the obstinate defenders of batteries and field-works, " and until the full weight oi three diviaiont of infantry, " with every field-artillery gun which could be sent to " their aid, had been cast into the scale, that victory " finally declared for the British. *' The fire of the Sikhs first slackened and then " nearly ceased, and the victors, then pressing them on « every side, precipitated them in masses over their " bridge and into the Sutlej, which a sudden rise of " seven inches had rendered hardly fordable. In their " efforts to reach the right bank through the deepened " water, they suffered irom our horse artillery a " terrible carnage. Hundreds fell under thiscannonade: " hundreds upon hundreds were drowned in attempting '- the perilous passage. Their awful slaughter, confu- " sion, and dismay were such us would have excited " compassion in the hearts of their generous conquerors, " if the Khalsa troops had not, in the earlier part of the " action, suUied their gallantry by slaughtering and " barbarously mangling every wounded soldier whom, " in the vicissitudes of attack, the fortune of v^ ar left at " their mercy. " Sixty-seven pieces of cannon, upwards of two " hundred camel-swivels (zumboorucks), numerous 1A4 HISTORICAL HICORD OP THK THIRTT-PIR8T. 1846 " •twidardi, and vast munitions of war, captured by '* our troops, are the pledges and trophies of our victory. " The battle was over by eleven in the morning, and " in the forenoon I caused our engineers to burn a part " and to sink a part of the vaunted bridge of the " Khalsa army, across which they had boastfully come ** once more to defy us, and to threaten India with " ruin and devastation. " The consequences of this great action have yet to '* be fully developed. It has at least, in God's provi- ** dence, once more expelled the Sikhs from our terri- ** tory, and planted our standards on the soil of the " Pui\)aub. After occupying their intrenched position ** for nearly a month, the Khalsa army had perhaps ** mistaken the caution which -had induced us to wait " for the necessary materiel, for timidity ; but they " must now deeply feel that the blow, which has fallen " on them from' the British arm, has only been the ** heavier for being long delayed." Lieut. -Colonel Spence, Captain Garvock (Major of Brigade), and Captain Lugard (Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General) of the thirty-first, were specially mentioned in the above despatch. At the close of a despatch dated Camp, Lahore, 2'ind of February, 1846, the Governor-General added the following : — " The soldiers of the army of the Sutlej have not ** only proved their superior prowess in battle, but have '* on every occasion, with subordination and patience, " endured the fatigues and privations inseparable from " a state of active operations in the field, i " The Governor- General has repeatedly expressed // •4^ (f OR HUNTIN0D0M8UIRB RBOIMBNT OV VOOT. 155 " on hia own part, and on that of the Government of 1846 " India, admiration and gpratitude for the important •' services which the army has rendered. *' The Oovernor-Oeneral is now pleased to resolve, as " a testimony of the approbation of the Government " of India of the bravery, discipline, and soldierlike " bearing of the army of the SutleJ. that all the generals, " officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, shall " receive a gratuity of twelve months* batta." In writing the history of the part borne by a regi- ment in the brilliant victories of this glorious campaign, there are many traits of individual heroism which should not pass unrecorded. The modesty of true valour prevents officers, who have had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, from announcing their own deeds, but the historian, who impartially re- cords the service of a corps, can have no such scruples. No hesitation is therefore felt in giving a place in the records of the service of this distinguished corps to the following extract from the Calcutta Star, an Indian newspaper, which described the recent battles of the Sutlej :— " Thirty-first Regiment. — This gallant old corps " seems to have received more than its share of hard " knocks, in the last four glorious battles it was en- " gaged in. Lieut.-Colonel Spence who commanded in " all four actions, seems to have had 'a charmed life, " having escaped in a most astonishing way. He had " two horses killed under him ; balls through his cap " and scabbard ; his sword broken in his hand by " grape-shot ; and at Sobraon, a Sikh, who was lying " apparently dead in the trenches, jumped up when *' he saw the Colonel's head turned, and rushed at him 156 niSTORIOAL RBCOmD OF THI THIHTT-riMT, 1846 " to out him down, which wm only prevented by a ** private who called the Colonel'i attention to hit «• danger, and afterwards bayoneted the Sikh, the " ColoneVe sword having broken in the encounter." The glorious Victory of Sobraon was decisive : the in- vaders were repelled ; their army, discomfited, retreated sullenly from the field; the whole of their artillery, their camp, warlike stores, and baggage fell into the hands of the victors: the ener" t< tired over their bridge, which, from the wei^.< \ ressure of the immense mass of the defon^' i t.tops passing over it, gave way ; the Sikhs wt.re piec.^ i ^ated into the water; the whole river was f iliustructed a pontoon-bridge, and the whole Briti^li . with i' .A-tillery, passed the SutleJ, and encamped on the opposite side, in the territory of the Sikhs : the enemy, disheartened and dismayed by their late defeats; offered no opposition, roiiriag as the OR HUNTINOOOiriHIKK MOIMINT or FOOT. 157 ! i British army advanced. The distance from the rirer 1846 8ntleJ to the capital of the Sikhs is leiM than fifty miles ; the march to it was performed without oppuaition, and without difficulty : the power of the HikhiiWM prostrate ; their gut^urnment sent chiufs oi high rank as ambassa- dors to the British ramp, to offer tertna of Hubmisaion to tlio Governor-General, suinpj for peace on whatever terms the conquerors might pleaso to dictate. Lieutenant Tritton died of his wounds on the e\ nng of the battle, and early the next morning the regiu * marched towards the bridge of boats, which wa in \>t grcss at the nearest point on the SutleJ to Feru/- lore on this march it was joined by a detachment o sixt^ men under the command of Lieutenan M'K nsie. along with Assistant-Surgeon Massey, who had just arrived from Umballe being part of an escor* n charge of heavy guns, and an immense train of am t- nition hackeries, which they had hoped to bring .^ • time for the last great \ 'attle, and were sadly disa «>- pointed to find it was all over : — such are the chano* of war 1 1 On the 12th the regiment was turned mm at 10 o'clock P.M., and marching all night, crossed th- river in native boats at sunrise, along with a largt force under Sir Henry Smitl , the band in the first boat playing " Garry-Owen," and the men in high spirits at the prospect of entering the Punjaub. This forced march was effected from a report having been sent to the Commander-in-Chief, that: the Sikhs were about to oppose the cros ing of the river, but no such demonstration took plate. Afler halting some days at Kussoor, which is one inarch from the Sutlej, the army moved towards Lidiore, marching at daylight every morning in order of battle, and every regiment in 9[ 158 HISTORICAL RBCOBD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 brigade koq)ing its own place through fields and jungles, forcing a way through every obstacle, and ready to form line at any moment. It was indeed a grand sight to see this splendid army on the morning of the 20th of February approaching the city of Lahore, over a boundless and perfectly open plain, on which it encamped about two miles from the city. On the 22nd the British Standard was hoisted on the citadel, and the event was announced to the army by the following General Orders of the Governor- General : — General Orders by the Right noNORABLE the Governor-General of India. " Camp, Lahore, 22nd Fsbruary, 1846, " The British army has this day 'occupied the gateway " of the citadel of Lahore, the Badshahee Mosque, and " the Huzzooree Bagh. •' The Armi/ of the Sutlej has now brought its opera- " tions in the field to a close, by the dispersion of the " Sikh army, and the military occupation of Lahore, " preceded by a series of the most triumphant suc- " cesses ever recorded in the military history of India. " Compelled suddenly to assume the offensive by the " unprovoked invasion of its territories, the British " Army, under the command of its distinguished leader, " has in sixty days defeated the Sikh forces in four " general actions, has captured 220 pieces of field artil- " lery, and is now at the capital, dictating to the Lahore " durbar the terms of a treaty, the conditions of which " will tend to secure the British provinces from the " repetition of a similar outrage.' OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 159 The decisive termination of the war in the Punjaub 1846 enabled the Governor-General and the Supreme Council to reduce the number of the Queen's regular regiments in India. An order was accordingly issued for the return of the thirty-first to Europe, but as it was desirable to retain all the efficient men who were willing to continue their services in India^ the soldiers were permitted to volunteer into the other regiments serving in the Bengal Presidency. A General Order was issued permitting the soldiers of the sixteenth lancers and the thirty- first regiment to volunteer into other corps ; the volunteering of the thirty-first to commence on the 26th and to close on the 28th of February. ^ ; The regiment now mustered only 420 bayonets fit for duty out of 844 which left Umballa, and during these three days 103 men volunteered to other corps ; at Umballa, on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of March, it again volunteered 214 men ; and at Chinsurab, on the 10th of July^ 12 men, in all 329, who remained in India. Within the last few years, the regiment had gained a considerable accession to its strength 1)y volunteers from corps leaving India: these men, whose object in volunteering was to remain in India, again availed themselves of the General Order granting them a bounty, of thirty rupees, and volunteered into other corps with which they had served during the late campaign. After the authority for volunteering had taken effect the strength of the thirty-fikst regiment was much reduced : all the young soldiers who were desirous of serving in India volunteered into other regiments. Several of the officers exchanged into corps remaining /:■' 160 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, VM n 1846 in India: Lieut.- Colonel Byrne into the fifty -third regiment ; Major Young into the tenth ; and Brevet- Major Lugard into the twenty-ninth. On the publication of the General Order for the return of the regiment to Europe, — the following Division Order was issued by Major-General Sir Henry Smith, E.C.B., commanding the first division :— " Camp, Lahore, 3rd March, 184C. " Comrades, — Officers and Soldiers of the gallant THIRTY- FIRST regiment,— you and I have been so asso- ciated in the recent conflicts, where your services have been distinguished, that I cannot lose you from under my command without an expression of the deepest regret ; that regret is however mitigated, when I know that you are about to return to your native country, from which the regiment has been absent twenty-one years, — much diminished in numbers,— caused by your valiant conduct and recent glorious vic- tories ; but the former renown of your distinguished corps has acquired additional fame, by the valour of Lieut.-Colonel Spence, the officers, and soldiers ; and the long list of triumphant victories now recorded on your colours, has been much increased by your ser- vices in India. Farewell, my gallant comrades, for the present ; may every success, happiness, honor, and prosperity attend you, the gallant thirty-first regiment, in peace, as it has so gloriously done in war I and, believe me, one of the most happy and proud recollections of my life will be that I have witnessed the indomitable valour of the corps." K n C€ The boats provided by the commissariat for the conveyance of the regiment to Calcutta being in readiness for the voyage, the wounded and sick men, women, and children were embarked with as little delay as possible. By the 16th of April the whole were embarked, and the fleet of boats sailed for the Pre- sidency of Calcutta on the following day. Lieut. -Colonel Spence, after having commanded the regiment in every action during this brilliant and glorious campaign, — at Moodhee on the 18th of December, Ferozeshah on the 21st and 22nd of Decem- ber, 1845, Budduoal on the 21st of January, AUwalon the 28th, and on the 10th of February, 1846, at the crowning victory at Sobraon, — had now the satisfaction of embarking with it on board the boats appointed to convey it to the port of Calcutta, where the ships lay M 2 ■rfl m m 164 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE TIIIHTY-FIR8T, 1846 at anchor, which were engaged to carry the war-worn veterans of the thirty-first regiment to their native country. On theSrd of April Her Majesty was pleased to ap- point Lieut. Colonel Byrne and Lieut.-Colonel Spence, of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, to be Companions of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath, for their distinguished gallantry in the late actions on the Sutlej. In consequence of the particularly gallant conduct of Serjeant Bernard M*Cabe, Major-General Sir Henry Smith, in a letter dated 17th February, was pleased to recommend him for a commission, in the following terms: — "This intrepid non-commissioned officer, in " the midst of a hand-to-hand conflict with the enemy, "planted the colour of Her Majesty's thirty-first " regiment upon one of the towers of the enemy's ** intrenchments, — one of the most bold and daring acts " of a gallant soldier I ever witnessed, and which, I now " deliberately consider, tended much to shorten the " struggle alluded to. This serjeant is a young man " of excellent character, and, if I may be permitted to " remind His Excellency the Commander in -Chief of " the promise made me almost in the heat of battle, it is, " — • This Serjeant shall he recommended for a commission.' " I can only add (which is unnecessary to the soldiers ** friend. Sir Hugh Gough) that, if he receives a " commission, it will be as gratifying to me as was the " gallant conduct I witnessed at the moment the •* colour-head was shot off, and the flag perforated with •' balls, as he triumphantly waved it in the air in the " very midst of the enemy." This highly honorable testimony of the bravery of OR HUNTINODONSUIRE REQIMENT OF FOOT. 165 Serjeant M'Cabc at the battle of Sobraon, was sup- 1846 ported by the strong recommendation of General Lord Gough to His Grace the Commander-in-Chief, and Serjeant Bernard M'Cabe was appointed by Her Majesty to an ensigncy in the Eighteenth, Royal Irish, regiment of foot, on the 8th of May, 1846. The details of the campaign on the Sutlej afford abundant proofs of the skill and bravery of the troops: the highest praise is due, and has been rendered by their admiring and grateful countrymen, to the officers and soldiers by whose gallantry four battles were fought, and victories obtained, in sixty days, over an enemy who had most ample means of equip- ping and supplying his corps with all the mat&riel of war, and of choosing his own time and opportunity of commencing his perfidious attack. , i- The army of the Sikhs, at the commencement of this unprovoked aggression, is ascertained to have amounted to 60,000 men, and their artillery to 108 pieces of cannon, some of them being of large calibre. The Anglo-Indian forces, which had been hastily collected to contend against this immense army, amounted only to about '20,000 men, a great proportion of which had marched one hundred and sixty miles, in order to arrive at the seat of war. Under the most serious disadvantages, fatigues, and l)rivations, the British troops, with the aid of their faithful allies, the Native corps, nobly contended with their Sikh adversaries, " who, in spite of their exceeding " numbers and advantageous positions, were van- '• quished in every battle." In expressing admiration of the heroic conduct of the British troops in this short but decisive war, it is the duty of the nation to acknowledge, with gratitude. i'l m 166 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1646 the wonderful interference of a Supreme Po\^or, by whose all-wise decree the army of the Sikhs was destroyed and dispersed; and, notwithstanding its numbers, received a complete and signal overthrow, as a just but severe punishment for its faithless conduct and daring violation of every honorable and religious feeling. When it is considered that with a disparity of force of three to one, independent of artillery, the Sikh army v.'as discomfited, and the enemy was driven back to his capital to seek for safety and peace, the British Nation must be sensible that an over- ruling Power aided their cause, and gave strength where numbers were deficient; and that another signal instance of Divine favour and protection has been added to tho numerous claims which demand the nation's humble acknowledgment and gratitude. > The campaign on the Sutlej having terminated by the destruction of the Sikh army and the capture of the city of Lahore, a treaty of peace was entered into. The Sikh government requested that a force of 10,000 British troops might be left at their capital for tho protection of the city and the maintenance of good order: this being complied with, arrangements were made for the return of the British army to the territories of the East India Company. The glorious news of the Battle of Sobraon was received in London on the 1st of April, and was an- nounced to the British public by a royal salute from the guns of the Tower and in St. James's Park ; and the royal standard was displayed at Buckingham Palace and at the I'ower of London. The greatest sensation pervaded all ranks of society : no military event, with the exception of the Battle of Waterloo, excited such OR UUNTINODOM8UIRE llEOIMBNT OF FOOT. 167 wonder and surpriso, mingled with joy, that the cloud, 1846 which had hung over the ' i of the British Empire in India, was completely dissipated by this last splendid and decisive victory, which effected the final overthrow of the power of the Sikhs, the destruction of their army, and the capture of their artillery, on the san- guinary field of Sohraon, On the 2nd of April the Thanks of the House of Lords were proposed by the Earl of Ripon, and carried unanimously. v. Extracts from Minutes of Proceedings of the House of Lords. — 2nd Aprilf 1846. 'r:VH'- ; V " That the Thanks of this House be given to Major- *' General Sir Henry Oeorge Smith, Knight Com- ^' mander of the Most Honorable Military Order of " the Bath, for his skilful and meritorious conduct when " in command of the British troops employed i^inst a " large portion of the Sikh army, of greatly superior " numbers, and for the signal valour and judgment dis- " played by him in the battle of the 28th of January, " 1846, when the enemy's force was totally defeated, " and a new lustre added to the reputation of the '* British arms. " That the Thanks of this House be given to the " several officers, European and Native, under the " command of Sir Henry Smith, for the distinguished •' services rendered by them at the battle of Aliwal. •' That this House doth highly approve of and '• commend the intrepidity and exemplary discipline " displayed by the non-commissioned officers and " private soldiers, European and Native, on the 28th of ri' 1A8 HISTORICAL RKCORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, \H4& '* January, 18 16, in their attack on the enemy's position, " by which thd Sikhs were completely routed and " driven in confusion across the Sutlej, with the loss " of all their artillery and military equipment ; and " that the same be signified to them by the Commanders " of the several corps, who are desired to thank them " for their gallant behaviour. " That in requesting the Governor-General of India " to communicate these Resolutions to the several " Officers referred to therein, this House desires to " acknowledge the zeal and judgment evinced by the " Right Honorable Lieut.-General Sir Henry Har- " dinge, Kni'i^ht Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, " Governor- (General of India, and also by General Sir " Hugh Govgh, Baronet, Knight Grand Cross of the " Order of the Bath, Commander-in-Chief of the " Forces in India, in supplying Major-General Sir " Henry Smith with such reinforcements and military " means as enabled him, under Divine Providence, to " overcome all the obstacles thrown in his way by a " brave and determined enemy. " That the Thanks of this House be given to the " Right Honorable Lieut.-General Sir Henry Har- " dinge, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable " Military Order of the Bath, Governor-General of " India, for the judgment, energy, and ability with '* which the resources of the British Empire in India " have been applied in repelling the unjust and un- " provoked invasion of the B itish Territory by the " Sikh Nation ; and for the valour and indefatigable " exertions which he displayed on the 10th of February, " 1846, at the battle of Sobraon, when, by the blessing " of Almighty God, which we desire most humbly to OR UUNTINOOON8I. t REGIM T <>¥ t T. 16» acknowledge, this hostile and trcacheru> mrum i»4ii was successfully defeated. '* That the Thanks of this House be given to General Sir Hugh Gough, Baronet, Knight Grand Cross uf the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in India, for the signal ability and valour with which, upon the 10th of February, 1846, he directed and led the attack, i when the enemy's intrenchments wore stormed, their artillery captured, their army defeated and scat- tered, and the Punjaub laid open to the advance of our victorious troops. " That the Thanks of this House be given to Major- General Sir Henry George Smith, Knight Com- mander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; Major-General Walter Raleigh Gilbert ; and Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath; and to the other officers, European and Native, for the distinguished services rendered by them in the eminently successful operations at the battle of Sobraon. '' That this House doth highly approve of and com- mend th^ invincible intrepidity, perseverance, and steady discipline displayed by the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, European and Native, on the 10th of February, 1846, by which the glory of the British arms has been successfully maintained against a determined and greatly superior force, and that the same be signiHed to them by the Com- manders of the several corps, who are desired to thank them for their gallant behaviour. " That the said Resolutions be transmitted by the pi* In 1*1 170 HISTORICAL RECORD OK THE THIRTYPinST, 1846 " Lord Chancellor to tho Govcmor-Gonoral of India, '* and that ho bo rcqucstod to communicato the vame " to tho several officers referred to therein.*' The House of Commons. Votes of Thanks to the same efToct were propunod by Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons, and carried without a dissenting voice. The East India Company. On the same day, a Special General Court of the proprietors of stock was held at the East India House, for tho purpose of passing a Vote of Thanks to Major- General Sir Henry Smith for his victory at Aliwal over tho Sikh army; to tho Govomor-Goneral Sir Henry Hardingc ; to (joneral Sir Hugh Gough, and to tho European and Native troops who were engaged in the war on the SutloJ. The resolutions of tho Court were proposed by Sir Henry Willocki the chairman, and were unanimously adopted. ' The Court of Common Council of London. At a Special Court of tho Court of the Common Council of the City of London, tho Thanks and Con- gratulations of the Court were awarded to Lieut.- General Sir Henry Hardinge, G.C.B., General Sir Hugh Gough, G.C.B., and Major- General Sir Henry Smith, K.C.B., for tho valour, judgment, and ability displayed by them in the recent battles of Aliwal and Sobraon ; also the Thanks of' the Court to the other officers, European and Native, for the intrepidity, perseverance, and discipline evinced by them upon both these memorable occasions. After a tedious voyage down the Ganges, owing to the pi WH' f OR HUNTINODON8HIH£ RKOIMSNT OV FOOT. 171 ihallownou of tho river and tho numerous sand-bankH, 1B46 tho regiment did not reach the station of Chinsurah until the 6th of July, on which day it landed and marched into barracks. Chinsurah, formerly a Dutch settlement, was ceded by Holland to the British Oovcmmont in 1827; it is situated on the right bank of the Ganges, about thirty miles from Calcutta : the East India Company have built an excellent barrack here for a regiment of infantry. The regiment was halted here until the necessary preparations were made for its embarkation for England. On the 30th of July the arms of tho regiment, which had been proudly borne and successfully used on many occasions on the battle-field, were given over to the ordtiance department, and deposited in the arsenal of Fort William. On the arrival of the regiment at Fort William, the military officers of the Presidency invited tho officers of the sixteenth lancers and thirty-first regiment to a ball and supper at tho Town-hall, to show their high sense of the distinguished conduct of those regiments in the field during the recent campaign on the Sutlej . The Lieut.-Governor, Sir Herbert Maddox, also invited the officers to a splendid banquet at the Govern- ment House on the 1st of August. The officers were also hospitably entertained by the officers of the Bengal artillery stationed at Dum-Dum, the head-quarters of that corps. The entertainment given by the military officers at Calcutta to the officers of the sixteenth lancers and THIRTY-FIRST regiment is thus noticed in the public paper called the " Star," of the Ist of August, 1846 : — •' The ball given by the military to Her Majesty's I i 17'i HISTORICAL llECURD OV THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 «» <( (1 (( << n X «( (i l< (< sixteenth lancers and Her Majesty's thikty-fikst regiment, came aff with great brilliancy last night at the Town Hall ; there were probably from 400 to 500 persons present. The hall was decorated with re- markable tastc> and the honored Peninsular colours of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment hung in tatters under the principal canopy, blood-stained in the recent engagements, in all of which the gallant regiment was present. At the opposite end of the table was a large transparency of the battle of Sobraon. Colonel Warren presided at the supper-table ; and Colonel Bnrlton, in an excellent speech, reviewing the services of the regiments from the commencement of the present century, gave the toast of the evening, which was acknowledged by Licut.-Colonel MacDowell and Lieut. -Colonel Spence." Previous to the departure of the regiment from India, the following General Order was issued by General Lord Gough, the Commander-in-Chief: — " Head-Quarters, Simla, 23rd May, 1846. " Those distinguished regiments, the sixteenth lancers and the thirty -first foot, are about to return to their native country after a service in India, the former of twenty-four, the latter of twenty- one years ; and although the Commander-in-Chief has recently, and so frequently, had occasion to laud the gallant conduct of these corps before an intrepid enemy, ho cannot permit them to embark without again expressing his admiration of their continued and conspicuous bravery in all the battles they have been engaged in during the long and eventful period OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 173 of their Indian service, whether in Aifghanistan, or at 184(i the more sanguinary conflicts of 1845 and 1846. " These brave regiments may be assured they will be received in their native land with every demon- stration of that patriotic feeling which gallant exploits ensure from their countrymen. " The sixteenth lancers have added to their standards ' Bhurtpore, Aifghanistan, Ghuznee, M aharajpore, Aliwal,and Sobraon;'and the thirtv-first regiment will have recorded on their already highly decorated colours — ' Cabool, Moodkee, Ferozeshah, Aliwal, and Sobraon.' ' . • > " Again must Lord Gough express the gratification it affords him thus to be able to record his opinion of their merits ; and both these corps are assured that their correct conduct in quarters, and almost total absence of crime for many years, have mainly conduced to the gallant achievements in the field to which their good fortune has afforded them the opportunity to contribute. " That every happiness and welfare may hereafter attend these regiments, is the Commander-in-Chiefs ardent desire, for he must ever feel the warmest interest in the career of such highly distinguished regiments. • ' " The Commander-in-Chief congratulates the two officers, Lieut.-Colonel MacDowell, C.B., and Lieut. - Colonel Spence, who accompanied their regiments to India nearly a quarter of a century ago, upon now having the honor and gratification of commanding them, after such distinguished services, on their return to their native land. Lieut.-Colonel MacDowell has never left India since his first arrival. 174 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 "By order of His Excellency the Commander-in " Chief. (Signed) " H. G. Smith, Major-General, " Adjutant-General to the Forces in India." The regiment embarked for England, the left wing under the command of Lieutenant Plaskett, on board the ' Plantagenet/ on the 2nd of August, 1846, con- sisting of 5 officers, 12 Serjeants, 4 drummers, and 102 rank and file, 10 women and 10 children. The head- quarters, or right wing, embarked on board the ' Madagascar ' on the 3rd of August, 1846, under the command of Major Staunton, and consisted of 10 officers, 19 Serjeants, 7 drummers, and 194 rank and file, 21 women, and 32 children. Unfortunately, as the * Plantagenet * was putting out to sea, she sprung a leak, and was obliged to return to Calcutta with all speed, the pumps being worked night and day by the soldiers, without whose assistance she must have gone down : they succeeded in bringing her safe into dock, there being then above seven feet of water in the hold. This detachment again embarked in the same ship on the 29th of August, and arrived in England on the 13th of January, 1847, having lost on the passage seven men. The ' Madagascar,' with head- quarters, arrived in England on the 5th of December, and lost on the passage Lieutenant Richard Sparrow and five soldiers. After a voyage of four months, the surviving veterans of the regiment were gladdened with the sight of the shores of their native land. The head-quarters of the regiment reached Gravesend on the 4th of December, 1 846 ; and on the 6th disembarked and marched to Chatham. Nothing could exceed the enthusiasm of OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 175 the public to welcome the arrival of this distinguished 1B4G corps. -•-''■ '■ " y " • --'-' ■■ ■ '-"''■' ■ The following description of the reception the regiment met with on its arrival, is taken from the ' Illustrated London News ' of December, 1846 :— " The Return of the thirty-first Regiment from " India. — On the 4th instant the head-quarters- of this " distinguished regiment arrived by the ship Madagas- " car from Calcutta, from which place they embarked " on the 3rd of August last : they lost by deaths on the " voyage five men and one officer, Lieut. Richard '* Sparrow. They brought home with them four cap- " tured colours, which they took in the short but bril- " liant campaign againsi the Sikhs. * * On the evening " of the 6th the head-quarters marched into Chatham " garrison from Gravesend, by the Rochester and "■ Gravesend Railway, where they were met by the very *• superior band of the royal marines. On the arrival at " the Rochester terminus, the band struck up, ' God save " the Queen,' and these heroes of the Sutlej were greeted " by hundreds of people with loud and repeated huzzas. '* The soldiers, in return for this spirited welcome, waved " the four colours captured from the enemy, one at " Ferozeshah, one at Aliwal, and two taken at Sobraon. " These banners bear testimony of the severe engage- " ments. The Queen's colour, and the regimental " colour, are complete fragments. The head- quarters *' were also accompanied by the depot band, which " played at intervals in passing with the regiment " through the streets of Rochester and Chatham, and " were greeted along the whole line by thousands of " people who assembled to witness their return. " Out of the 215 men landed from the Madagascar i 1 : liHWI rraB h 'Mi 1 ■.V- 1 i^Hp 1 Imm ■1 i 1 ' si^^n^H^Hi 1 176 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY- FIRST, 1 846 * ' there are but 80 unwounded. Lieut.-Colonel Spence, " and Quarter-master Benison, are the only officers, " now with the regiment, who went out with it in the *' ' Kent ' East Indiaman, which took fire and sank in ** the Bay of Biscay. ' '- ^ " ^ *' The following officers have come home with the " head-quarters : — Major George Staunton, Brevet " Major D. F. G. Longworth, Lieut. G. Elmslie, Lieut. " T. Scarman, Lieut. R. Mackenzie, Lieut.and Adju- *' tant A. S. Bolton, Lieut. H. P. Hutton, Quarter- " master S. Beuison, and Assistant- Surgeon H. C. Foss. '• Total nine officers and 215 Serjeants, drummers, " and rank and file. " Lieut.-Colonel Spence headed the troops. The *< officers of this regiment, having been on the most " friendly terms with the royal marine corps, and being " members of the mess of the royal marines, they dined " at the royal marines' mess-room with the officers, " who invited them on their arrival at the garrison to " a superb repast. ** The officers of the regiment were invited to *' dinner by Colonel Sir Frederick Smith and the " officers of the royal engineers in garrison at Chatham, " They also received invitations to dinner from the '' officers of the 2nd battalion of the 60th rifles, and " also from the officers of the provisional battalion " quartered in this garrison." - . Shortly after its arrival in England, the following complimentary letter was received by Lieut.-Colonel Spence, commanding the regiment, from that distin- guished officer General Sir Colin Halkett, G.C.B., the Colonel of the thirty-first regiment: — OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 177 ♦' United Serricc Ciub, li«ndon,;22nd -Dec., 1846. 1846 " My Dear Colonel, " It is with the liveliest satis&ction that I avail " myself of the arrival in England of the thirty-first " regiment, under your command, to offer you, and the " corps, my most sincere congratulations on your return '* to your native land, after your arduous and distin- " guished services in the East. Connected as I have the " honor to be with the regiment, it was natural for me "to take a deep interest in its welfare, and to follow its " fate and fortunes with all the attention in my power ; '* and as some professional experience enabled me to " appreciate the toils you had to encounter, and the " dangers you had to overcome, it was with highly " gratified pride and most heartfelt delight, that I heard " how nobly you had supported the first, and how gal- '' lantly you had vanquished the latter. '* At the very outset of the voyage from England, " the regiment was already called upon to give proofs " of that high state of discipline, which is the soldier*s "best shield in difficulties. On dark and distant seas, '' amid the flames of the unfortunate East India ship " Kent, you remained firm and tranquil, obedient to " orders issued by that meritorious soldiv^r, your then " commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel Fearon (now " Major-General), and thus ensured the safety of all " when every semblance of hope seemed to have " vanished, and when confusion must have led to " inevitable destruction. " The promise, which such noble conduct gave, was " fully justified by your subsequent behaviour. Called '* upon to aid in avenging disasters which the feebleness " uf allies had brought upon your country's arms, you 178 HISTORIC A.L RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1846 " forced your way through the most difficult part of " Central Asia> through mountain wildernesses un- " equalled on the face of the globe, and never traversed " by disciplined troops since the days of the great Mace- " donian conqueror. Even the gallantry, which you " displayed during this campaign, seems to be forgotten, " when we reflect on the steady discipline, and daunt- " less energy, evinced in contending against the toils and " difficulties v.I;ich had to be overcome at every step of " this memorable march, only eclipsed by the more " brilliant actions you were soon afterwards called upon " to perform. " An Army, composed of the most warlike tribes of " Asia, trained to arms by European officers, long *' accustomed to victory under the sway of an able and " ambitious prince, assuming, on the death of Runjeet *' Singh, the power of absolute control over its feeble " government, resolved to invade the British provinces ; " which, protected by a disciplined army, ruled by a wise " and paternal government, had long prospered in •' peace, and acquired a degree of wealth too well " calculated to tempt the rapacity of such lawless " bands. " To avoid every appearance of hostility, and preserve " peace to the last, the British authorities had kept *' their forces at a distance from the frontier ; and the " enemy thus emboldened by forbearance, which was " probably taken for timidity, crossed the Suiiej, and " attacked our possessions without even a declaration " of war. In this difficulty it was only by extraordinary " exertion on the part of the troops, by toil and " fortitude never surpassed, if ever equalled, that " your comrades posted along the frontier could be OR HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. 170 " saved from ruin, and an unprincipled foe checked in 1846 " time to avert the greatest calamities. " The march from Umballa must ever be memora;ble " in the annals of war. Under the burning sun of " India, you supported, at duty's call, an excess of " toil and fatigue, which would have tried the hardiest " and the best, even in the bracing atmosphere of our " northern climate ; and your victory of Moodkee was " actually achieved over bold, numerous, and well- " prepared foes, after a march of twenty miles, per- " formed under the rays of a vertical sun, through a " waste and parched country, not affording even a " drop of water to allay the scorching thirst occasioned •' by the clouds of dust raised from the burning soil ; " fought, and won in fact, after an excess of toil that " would have overcome all but the first and foremost " soldiers of their time. •* A single defeat was not, however, to daunt the " fierce and numerous foes with whom you had " to contend ; and hardly had you recovered from " the fatigues of your long march and first victory, " when you were called upon to storm an entrenched " camp, defended by vastly superior numbers, and by a " train of heavy and well-served artillery t uch as the " East had never beheld. To assail works, under such " circumstances, is one of the most trying and diificult "operations of war; and when the strength of the " position, and the fierce resolution with which it was " defended, are considered, your victory may safely be " termed an action of unsurpassed boldness, energy, " and perseverance. " Never will your country's banner suifer a stain, " so long as its soldiers shall equal those who stormed r N2 HI i 1 1846" B^^i;' (( ^^^^^^^^BBl , >!■ ■ « €1 H ^^^^^^^^I^B ] ■: (( ^^^H ^H.^^^^^^^B. *< ^^^■^B^^^^^^B _; ' . « ^^H| ^Kj^^^l^^HBtjS* i i H^^^Kb- cr « H^^^^w '■'." (( ^^■i 1 ■' r< H €t ■I^IB « lii^^^ of which colony he had been appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief. On the 7th of September he reviewed the regiment, and expressed his satisfaction at seeing its discipline so perfect, considering that only a few months had elapsed since it returned home a mere skeleton. The regiment was inspected by Major-General Brown on the 4th of May, and on the 1st of October, 1847 ; it was inspected on the 10th of November, by His Grace the Duke of Wellington, who expressed hi approbation in the highest terms. In November the regiment was removed to Manchester by railway in three divisions, where it was completed to its esta- blishment of 39 officers, 47 Serjeants, 40 corporals, 17 drummers, and 760 privates. 184 HISTORICAL UHCORD UK TUB TUIRTY-VIHBT, t^B|i4^^K « wHH^^B/ WBSin^B/'f S^B^n^^^H " HhJ ^^HJS^Er* '''■ i'^^H^^S^ ^HI^Bl^ 1848 On tho 7th of April, 1848, tho regiment proceeded to Ireland, and arrived at Dublin on tho following day. In July the regiment marched to Athlone. Now Colours were presented to the thirty-first regiment, on the 19th of May, 1848, by Major-Oeneral His Royal Highness the Prince George of Cambridge, K.O., and the following account of tho ceremony was given in "Sounders' NewB- Letter'* of tho following day : — " Tho interesting military ceremonial of tho prcscn- " tation of New Colours to this gallant and distin- " guished corps took place yesterday, in tho ornamental " grounds in front of that fine building, tho Queen's " Inns, Henrietta-street, Dublin. Tho regiment was " formed in full review order at three o'clock, shortly '' after which His Royal Highness Prince George of " Cambridge, accompanied by his aide-de-camp Cap- " tain the Honorable James Macdonald, Major-Gencral " John M'Donald, and several other officers of distinc- " tion, came upon the ground. " In front of the line wore four standards, captured " by the regiment from tho Sikhs ; ono of them taken " at Ferozeshahf one at Aliwaly and two at Sobra , . " The Colours of the Corps, torn to pieces from the " grapeshot through which they were led to victory, " and stained with the blood of tho Ensigns who were " kiHed carrying them to the muzzles of the Sikh guns, " were objects of great interest to the numerous citizens " who thronged the grounds. Lieut.-Colonel Spence, " C.B., who commanded the gallant regiment in all " these actions, except Sobraon (where he commanded " th first brigade of Sir Henry Smith's Division), was in imand, and looked in admirable health and spirits. c< OR HUNTINOZK>NtUrRB RSOIMBNT OP FOOT. 189 *' The survivors of tho Indian campaigns wore deco- i8^8 " rated with thoir medals. After tho usual routine of " parading the old colours, and giving them up, the " band playing * Auld lang iyne^ the Regiment formed " a hollow square, and the Garrison Chaplain repeated " the prescribed formula for tho occasion. The New " Colours were then handed to Ensigns Christian and *' Brown, when His Royal Highness tho Prince George " of Cambridge briefly addressed the Re^iment, stating " his gratification at having this pleasing duty to per- " form. He had not seen service himself, and the " task would \i*\\e fallen more appropriately upon one '* who had. In encouraging tho troops to tho perform- " ance of thoir duty, he related the anecdote of tho " Serjeant who, when the Ensign bearing the old « colour had fallen mortally wounded, seized \i, — carried " it onwards, — and victory resulted. Tho non-commis- " sionod officer was promoted to an ensigncy in the " Eighteenth, Royal Irish, regiment.* " The corps then formed in line, and gave a Royal " salute, the band playing ' God save the Queen* The " day was remarkably fine, and after the ceremony the " regiment marched into its quarters in the Linen-Hall " Barracks." Certain of the distinguished officers of the garrison of Dublin were entertained by the officers of the regi- ment at dinner in the evening ; but His Royal High- ness Prince George was prevented from attending by an expected disturbance in the city. On the ist of February, 1849, the establishment of 1849 the regiment was reduced from eight hundred to seven hundred and fifty rank and file. * Vide pages 146 and 165 of Regimental liecord. i m-^ HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1849 On the 20th of July, 1849, Lieut.-Colonel Spence retired, after a lengthened service of forty-one years, and Major George Staunton was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel of the thirty-first regiment, in succession to Lieut.*Colonel James Spence.* During the year 1849 the regiment remained at Athlone. 1850 In April, 1850, the regiment proceeded from Athlone to Dublin, where it continued to be stationed at the conclusion of tho Historical Record. * A beauUfbl lilver inkstand has been recently presented to Lieut- Colonel Spence, by the Officers of the thibtt-first recent. It is an elegant testimonial) and is tasteAilly embellished with military trophies, a joldier of the regiment being introduced on the two extremities, in the position to receive cavalry,— the whole surmounted by the British Lion. The following inscription is engraved on the testimonial : — Presented to LiiutinantColomcl Sfenob, C.B., Oy Lieutenant-Colonel Ht«unton and Oilicen of the thibty-fibbt Regiment, A« * totton of their eateem and attacliment, On hia leaving tlie Regiment, in whicli lie had served for a period of forty-one years, With high dIatinotioD to himself and honor to hia Country. .fT'j'f rjj-;;' ;.'^ HISTORICAL RECORD OF TH> SECOND BATTALION y^^if 'i::),^ <; OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, OR THE HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. Napoleon Bonaparte, upon being raised in May 1804 1804 to the dignity of Emperor of the French, increased his immense preparations to carry into effect his project for the invasion of England, that he might, by one great effort, crush the power of the British people, who appeared as a barrier to his ambitious designs. This menace of invasion had aroused the spirit of the British nation ; patriotic enthusiasm pervaded all ranks ; and among the measures of defence* adopted by the Govern- ment was the introduction of the " Additional Force Act" which was passed on the 14th of July 1804. Under this Act of Parliament, a second battalion was 1805 added to the thirty-first regiment, which was to be formed of men raised in the county of Chester for limited service. The second battalion was embodied by July 1805, and in October it proceeded from Chester to Winchester, where the first battalion was stationed. After the first battalion had embarked for Sicily in * Vide page 64. 188 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTY-FIRST, i: P- :.' i\ 1806 April 1806, the second battalion continued at Win- chester until June following, when it proceeded to Gosport. 1807 On the 8th of January 18C7, the second battalion embarked at Gosport for Guernsey, where it arrived on the 15th of that month. In May 1807, the battalion proceeded to Ireland, and was stationed at Limerick. 1808 In March 1808, the battalion was removed from Limerick to Dublin. Important events had in the meantime occurred on the Continent, which occasioned the second battalion of the THiBTY-FiRST regiment to be ordered on active service. Napoleon, having reduced Germany to sub- mission to his will, and forced Russia to accede to his decrees, next attempted the subjugation of Spain and Portugal. The Spaniards and Portij Of THE THIRTY-FIRST, 1812 dered more difficult, the British troops returned to the south of the Guadiana. A great part of June was passed in operations against General Drouet, until he was reinforced on the 18th of that month with General Barrois's division of infantry, and two divisions of cavalry. Hereupon Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill fell back gradually to Albuhera, and took up a position on the former field, awaiting an attack. The enemy did not advance, and on the 2nd of July, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill broke up from Albuhera, and moved upon General Drouet, who retired towards Cordova. At the end of July, Lieut.- General Sir Rowland Hill was at Llerena, and the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment, in Brigadier-General Byng's brigade, was detached to Merida. General Drouet made a demonstration, but no action of infantry ensued. After the victory gained by the army under Viscount Wellington on the 22nd of July at Salamanca, the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill pene- trated the Spanish provinces : during the month of iugust they were engaged in the pursuit of General Drouet, and in the beginning of October they were on the Tagus, between Aranjuez and Toledo. While the army under the Marquis of Wellington, which title was conferred upon him after the victory of Salamanca, was engaged in the siege of the Castle of Burgos, the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment remained at Aranjuez. In consequence of the necessity of raising the siege of Burgos, and retreating, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill broke up from hia ground on the Tagus, to eifect a junction with the grand army, which commenced its retrograde movement from Burgos on the 21st of October. h OR HUNTINODONSHIRE REaiMENT OF FOOT. 203 On the 30th of October, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland 1812 Hill, having taken up a position of defence on tha Jarama, was pressed by the enemy, who attacked the bridge of Aranjuez. The French were repulsed by Colonel Skerrett, with theforty-seventh(ofwhituhe was the Lieutenant-Colonel), and part f the ninety-fifth regiment, now the Rifle Brigade. The retreat continued without molestation : and on the 8th of November, the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill were at Alba, while the Marquis of Wellington occupied the heights of San Christoval. The brigade of the second division, in which the second battalion of the thirty- first was posted, being in the neighbourhood of the fords of Encinas. On the 14th of November, the enemy passed the river near that place, and the Marquis of Wellington moved with the second division to attack him, while the remainder of the troops were ordered towards the Arapiles in the evening. No engagement occurred. The enemy fortified himself at Mozarbes, on the ground he had taken up the night before, and moved bodies of cavalry and infantry to the communication with Ciudad Rodrigo. The superiority of numbers on the part of the French caused the British army to continue its march to Ciudad Rodrigo, which it reached on the 19th of November. Thus ended the retreat from Burgos. The men had suffered greatly on the march and required rest ; the enemy had pressed the retreat closely with his cavalry, and made ai. attack upon the rear upon the passage of the Huebvu ; the roads were difficult, and in some parts impassable. The second battalion of the thirty- first did noi, share in the hard- ships of the main retreat until it had crossed the Tormes. r 1: m 11'- 204 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIRTV-FIRST, 1812 Marshal Soult having retired to the Upper Tormes, towards the pass of Banos, it was reported that he intended to invade Portugal by the valley of the Tagus. Lieut.- General Sir Rowland Hill's division was there- fore moved to the right as far as Robledo, to cover the pass of Persies. King Joseph, however, in December, took up his position for the winter, and the allied army was also distributed in quarters. Lieut. -General Sir Rowland Hill's division occupied Coria and Placentia, the thirtv-first being cantoned in the latter place. 1813 The allied army remained in cantonments until the month of May 1813 ; on the 10th of that month the second battalion of the thirty-first, in the second division, broke up from its winter quarters, and, forming a part of the right wing of the army, shared in the operations during the advance upon Burgos and Vit- toria; in the plan for the action of the 21st of June, before Vittoria, Lieut.- General Sir Rowland Hill's corps, composed of Morillo's Spaniards, Sylveira's Portuguese, and the second British division, forming the right of the allied army, was to attack the Cucmy's left, and forcing the passage of the lower Zadora, at Pu;.l)la, assail the French on the heights beyond, entering the plain of Vittoria, by the defile of la Puebla. Ihe river \\a5 passed about ten o'clock a. m., and Morillo's Spaniards assailed the mountain with his first brigade \ but meeting with much resistance on the heights, called up his -fond brigade, which, the French being also reinforced, vas supported by part of the second division, while Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, with the rest, passed through the defile, ai?i], seizing the village of Suhijana de Alava, held his ground : he thus connected his own right with the troops on the mountain, and OR UUNTINQDUNSUIRfi HEQIMENT OF FOOT. 205 maintained this forward position, although the French ISial made great efforts to dislodge the allies from this vantage-ground. Meanwhile the fourth division crossed by the bridge of Nanclares. The action on the British right was severe, and sustained with great gallantry. The French, being driven from all their defences, retreated with such pre- cipitation towards Pampeluna as to abandon all their baggage, artillery, ammunition, military chests, and the court equipage of King Joseph, whose carriage being seized, he had barely time to escape on horseback. The defeat was the most complete that the French had experienced in Spu-ii.. The baton of Marshal Jourdan was taken, and the Prince Regent, in the name and behalf of his Majesty, appointed the Marquis of Wellington a Field Marshal. In a most flattering letter, the FrW ^ Regent thus con- ferred the honor : — " You have sent me among the " trophies of your unrivalled fame, the staff of a French *' Marshal, and I send you in return that of England." During part of the day, the second battalion of the THIRTY- FIRST was stationed to cover a brigade of guns : its loss was not very great, being one private killed, and thirteen wounded. Captain Girdlestone was the only officer of the thirty-first who was wounded. Lieut.-Colonel Leith received a medal for his conduct in command of the battalion, and the Royal Authority was afterwards given for the word '• Vittoria" to be inscribed on :he Regimental Colour and Appointments of the THiRTY-FTHST regiment, to commemorate the gallantly of the second battalion in that battle. The second battalion of the thirty-?ir8T regimeat shared in the pursuit of the enemy after his defeat at Vittoria, and, when the Marquis of Wellington marched 206 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE TU1R1 \'-FJRST, mfm 1 1 1813 o'l ♦^e 26th of June to intercept the French General Clausel, it remained with the other corps of the second division for tiicfiege of Pamjae/Mwa. - ", AUhcvigh the ene:i\y had withdrawn his right and left into i ranco, he u ■' intained his centre in force in the 1 jch vcfliev of .Ba. in, which aflEbrded numerous strong: positions, and the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, havitig been relieved from the blockade of Pamnckr:*,, advanced to dislodge the Frtnch. On the 4th oi July, and the three following daj'H, Gentra^ Gaxim was driven from the valley of Bastan l>y the Uoops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, and the positions abandoned by the enemy were occupied by the British. Major-General Byng's bri- gade, of which the thirty-first formed part, with some Spanish corps under General Morillo, took possession of t]i'i Pass of Roncesvalles on the 7th of July. In this cele- brated valley the thirty-first remained for a few days. Marshal Soult having arrived at Bayonne on the 1 3th of July to command, as Lieutenant of the Emperor, the united French army of Spain, amounting to above seventy-eight thousand men, exclusive of garrisons, collected more than sixty thousand of his own left, and advanced on the 25th of July to force the Pass of Roncesvalles. The brigade which had Ixjen ordered to occupy the Pass, and of which the thirty-fiust formed a part, kept the Frenrli in check for several hours, but was obliged to iiill back, on perceiving that a strong body had succeeded in turning the position. The thirty-first had two privates killed, and three wounded, in the action on the 2)th of July On the 28th and 30th of July, the batt lion was engaged in th., ttack made upon tno enemy on the heights in fi >ni of Pampeluna, and had Cp.ptain Girdlestone, OH UUNTINUDON8U1KE HEUIMENT OK FOOT. 207 Ensign Smith, and Quarter-Master Mcintosh, together 1813 with thirty-three rank and file, wounded : — two rank and file were killed. Lieut.- Colonel Leith received a clasp, in addition to his former medal, for his conduct on these occasions. The THiRTY-FiHST regiment subsequently received the Royal Authority to bear the rvord " Pyrenees" on the Regimental Colour and Appointments, to commemorate the services of the second battalion in these several com- bats, which have been designated the " Battles of the Pyrenees y On the 31st of July, Major-General Byng's brigade captured a large convoy near EHzondo, and made many prisoners. The British troops resumed their position in the Pyrenees, awaiting the capture of St. Sebastian and Pampeluna. St. Sebastian was captured on the 31st of August, and on the 31st of October the French garrison of Pampeluna surrendered prisoners of war. Pampeluna being captured, the right of the allied army, which had been employed in covering the block- ade, became disengaged, and the British Commander looking down from the lofty Pyrenees on the well- guarded territory of France, resolved to carry the Avar into the heart of that country. The British army, early on the morning of the 10th of November, descended into the valleys on the French side ; the division of which the thirty-first formed part entered France by the Pass of Maya, having sustained some loss in the capture of one of the enemy's redoubts. Only one man belonging to the battalion was killed, but Captain Girdlestone and eleven rank and file were wounded. Marshal Soult's army was driven from his fortified position on the river Nivelle, and several guns '20S U18TUHICAL RECOltD OV TlIK TIIIUTYFIIIST, 1813 and prisoners were captured. The French being pur- sued on the following day, retired to their fortified camp near Bayonne. Captain Thomas Samuel Nicolls was promoted to the rank of Major in the army for his conduct on this day, and the thirty-first afterwards received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Nivelle" on the Regimental Colour and Appointments, in testimony of the gallantry of the second battalion in that action. 'I'he passage of the river Nive was effected on the 9th of December : the thirty-first passed over with- out the loss of a man, one serjeant only being wounded. Lieut.-Colonel Leith received an additional clasp for his conduct on this occasion, and Captains Patrick Dowdall and Peter Fearon were promoted to the rank of Majors in the army. On the 1 3th of December, the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment shared in the action at St. Pierre, near Bayonne, when the enemy abandoned two pieces of cannon, which were taken possession of by Captain Hemsworth's company. The Marquis of Wellington, in his despatch dated St. Jean de Luz, 14th December 1813, thus alluded to the ' jriduct of the brigade under Major-General John Byng,* of which the thikty-first formed part. * Major-General Byng, the present General the Earl of Strafford, and Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, in consideration of his gallantry in the action of the 13th of December, 1813, — wherein he led his troops, under a most galling fire, to the assault of a strong height occupied in great force by the enemy, and having himself ascended the hill first with the Colour of the thirty-fibst regiment of foot in his haad, he planted the Colour upon the summit, and drove the enemy (far superior in nu.. • bers) down the ridge to tlie suburbs of St. Pierre, — received the Royal Authority on the 7th of July, 1&15. to bear the following honora'ile augmentation, namely, " Over the arms of the family of Byng, in bend " sinister, a representation of the Colour of the Tifi rv.Fmgx regiment," i?H the following crest, namely, " Out of a ' ..I crown an arm if 'i OR HUNTINODON8UIRE RBOIMBNT OF FOOT. 209 u I 41 I had^eat satisfaction, also, in observing the con- 1813 *' duct of Major-General Byng's brigade of British infantry, supported by the fourth Portuguese bri- " gade, under the command of Brigadier-General " Buchan, in carrying an important height from the *' enemy on the right of our position, and maintaining " it against all their efforts to regain it. ^ '* Two guns and seme prisoners were taken from the " enemy, who being beaten at all points, and having *' suffered considerable loss, were obliged to retire " upon their entrenchment." In a very interesting life of the late Viscount Hill, by the Reverend Edwin Sidney, A. M is the following account of the action at St. Pierre, near Bayonne. " This great service was thus performed by Sir " Rowland Hill. The enemy, who had failed in all *' their :ed at his disposal not only the sixth di^dsion, " but the fourth division, and two brigades of the th' "d. " Soult's objects were to gain the bridge of St. Pierre, " to Tiake himself master of the road to St. Jean Pied " de Port, and to break through the position of the •' allies. For these purp'^ses he put forth his whole '• strength, and was completely vanquished. Even " embowed, grasping the Colour of the aforesaid THiRTT-ii'iBST regiment, " and, pendent from the vrrist by a riband, the Gold Cross presented to ** him by His Majesty's conmaiid, as a mark of his royal approbation of his " distinguished set vices," and in an escrol abce the word "Mouguerre," being the name of a height near the hamlet of St. Pierre. r J.. 210 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE THIHTY-PIR8T, .1 ^■:- > I ****•« before the Bixth division arrived. Sir Rowland Hill *' had repulsed him with prodigious loss ; and although " he skilfully availed himself of a high ground in " retreating, he could not stand against the famous " charge of General Byng, and was entirely defeated. " It was a battle fought and won by the corps of Sir " Bowland Hill alone and unaided. At the instant of " victory Lord Wellington came up, and in the ecstasy " of the moment of triumph, caught him by the hand, '* and said, ' Hill, the day is your own.' " The THIRTY-FIRST ^ad seven rank and file killedy and three Serjeants, two drummers, and twenty-seven rank and file wounded. Lieut.-Colonel Leith, who received a cross for his conduct, was slightly wounded. Ensign Hardy died of his wounds. Brevet Major Peter Fearon, of the thirty-fihst regiment, who commanded the fifth Portuguese Caqa< dores, received an additional distinction to the medal which had been granted ' im for the buttle of Albuhera. The THIRTY-FIRST Subsequently received the Royal Authority to bear on the Rftgimental colour the word ** NiVB," to commemorate the gallantry of the second battalion in the {^:tioQs which ensued on the passage of that river. No further actions occurred during the few remain- ing days of the year 1813 ; and the army occupied winter quarters. lg]4 Leaving their cantonments at the village of St. P;i;rre, the thirty-first advanced with the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, in the middle of February 1814, when the French corps, under General Harispe, were driven from Hellete, and after- wards forced from a position on the heights of Garris OR HUNTINODONSHIRK REGIMENT OF FOOT. 21 1 on the 15th of February. The battalion had oiie 1614 private killed, and six rank and file wounded. Brevet Major Peter Fearon, who commanded the fifth Portu- guese Cagadores, died of his wounds. The other oflUcer wounded was Captain Knox, who was subsequently promoted to the brevet rank of major. On the 27th of February, the second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST, in Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill's division, crossed the Adour, on the right of Ortfiet, with the loss of only two rank and file wounded. Lieut.-Colonel Leith gained another distinction, and the THIRTY-FIRST afterwards received the Royal Au- thority to bear the word " Orthes" on tho Regimental Colour and Appointments, in commemoration of the conduct of the second battalion in that battle. Advancing rapidly against the enemy, Lieut.- General Sir Rowland Hill engaged him at Aire, on which occasion the thirty- first had Ensign Hardcastle (Captain in the third Portuguese Caqadores) one seijeant, and two rank and file wounded. On the 10th of April, the second battalion of the thirty-first regiment was in action with the French in the suburbs of Toulousej and had one private wounded. During the night of the 11th of April, the French army evacuated Toulouse, and the white flag was hoisted. On the day following, the Marquis of Wel- lington entered Uu> city amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants. In the afternoon of this day intelligence was received of the abdication of Napoleon ; and had not the express been delayed on the journey by the French police, the sacrifice of many valuable lives would have Ibeen prevented. A disbelief in the truth of this intelligence occasioned much unnecessary blood- p 2 212 1 ■w'rr.iH'OAL record or the TuiRTY-riRar, k: -:' n, ■■' ill ' i 1814 ihed at Bayonw, the gRrriion of which made a despe- rate sortie on the i4th of April, and Lieut.-Oeneral Sir John Hope (afterwards Earl of Hopetoun) was wounded and taken prisoner. Major-Oeneral Andrew Hay was killed, and Major-Oeneral Stopford was wounded. This was the last action of the Peninsular war. The advance of the Allied troops into the heart of France led to a Treaty of Peace, by which Louis XVUI. was restored to the throne of that kingdom, and Napo- leon Bonaparte was permitted to reside at Elba, the sovereignty of that Island having been conferred upon him by the Allied Powers. The war being ended, the second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment was ordered to return to England. It marched from Toulouse to Bourdeaux on the 3rd of June, and on the 12th of July embarked in the Rodney, disembarking on the 23rd at the Cove of Cork, whence it immediately marched to Middleton. In commemoration of the services of the second battalion, the thirty-first subsequently received the Royal Authority to bear the word " Peni nsula,'* on the Regimental Colour and Appointments, in addition to the names of the several actions in which the second battalion had taken a prominent part, during the war in Spain from 1808 to 1814, namely, « Talavera," " Albuhrha/' " Vittoria," "Pyrenees," *'Nivelle," " Nive," and «' Orthbb." Lieut.- Colonel Alexander Leith was nominated a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ibr his conduct in command oS the second battalion during the Peninsular war. - \ . Lieut.-Colonel George Guy Carleton L'Estrange, who was promoted from major in the thirty-first regiment, to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel in the twenty- OR HUNTING D0N8HIRK RKOIMKNT OF FOOT. 213 sixth regiment on the 15th of December I'.iVZ, vaiiSM nominated a Companion of the Order of the iiath for his conduct while serving with the second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment. On the 23rd of September, the iecond battalion pro- ceeded to Portsmouth, where it was disbanded on the 24th of October 1814, the officers and men, fit for ser- vice, being transferred to the Jlrtt battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, at that period stationed in Sicily. 1814 p 4 ^..u ,/■"■" — rm .. * i! I laE 31»T UKOT (SITTIKJ) TKSTIMONIAL. ERECTED IN CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL Jvr ^ii*m>iu /IA&t*f7 /iecifriis 1' 1 i "j*! ,1 ■ ' '( ' >/i < M ■■ 1 • fe'.'ili > "' ■ 'iiw , :>'«i: 1 ■ ^h^'i ■ -in^ - -1 :l'i.' J !■ * *• 1 kjtw'\ '' .' ■ I^hM iM [ 215 ] SUCCESSION OF COLONELS or THE THIRTY-FIRST, OB THE HUNTINGDONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT. George Villiers, Appointed \2th February 1702. This officer did not long enjoy the colonelcy of the regiment, as his decease occurred in December 1703, when he was un- fortunately drowned while in command of the regiment on board the fleet. Alexander Luttereix, Appointed 6th December 1703. Upon tht aecease of Colonel Villiers, Lieuf.-Colonel Alex- ander Lutterell was promoted to the colonelcy of the thirty- first regiment, which he held but for a few years, his decease occjxrring early in the year 1706. JosiAH Churchill, Appointed 1st February 1706. Lieut.-Colonel Josiah Churchill was promoted on the Ist of February 1706, to the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment, at that period serving as Marines. In March 1711 Colonel Churchill received permission from Her Majesty Queen Anne to sell his commission. ¥'■ 216 sruccESsroN of colonels. i. -i Sir Haf.rt Gok'ng, Bart,, Appointed 1st March 1711. Colonel Churchill having sold his commission, Lieut.- Colonel Sir Harry Goring, Bart., was promoted to the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment on the 1st of March, 1711. Sir Harry Goring retired on the 8th of Seotember, 1716. Lord John Kerr, Appointed Sth September 1716. Colonel Sir Harry Goring having retired, His Majesty King Geoi^e the First conferred the colonelcy of the thirty- first regiment on Lord John Kerr, the commission being dated 8th of September, 1716. His Lordship's decease occurred on the 1st of August 1728. The Honorable Charles Cathcart, Appointed ISth August 1728. The Honorable Charles Cathcart, son of Alan, seventh Lord Cathcart, entered ihe army in the eighteenth year of his age, and in 1V04 he commanded a company in Colonel Macartney's regim- nt (since disbanded), serving on the fron- tiers of Holland. In 1706 he commanded a troop in the Scots Greys, which corp: distinguished itself at the battle of Ramilies in the same year : in 1707 he wls brigade major to the Earl of Stair. Continuing in active service with the army under the Duke of Marlborough, he acquired the re- putation of a brave and zealous officer : in 1709 he was ap- pointed major of the Scots Greys, and was soon afterwards promoted to the lirmt. -colonelcy of the regiment. On the accession of Kiiig Gerrge I., he was appointed one of the grooms of His Majesty's bedchamber. In the autumn of 1715 he joined the forces unaer the Duke of Argyle at Stir- ling, and served against the rebels unc^'^r the Earl of Mar. On the 23rd of October, he was detached against a hundred rebel hors"^ and two hundred foot, whom he attacked with his dragoons, killed many, and took seventeen prisoners. At the battle of SherifFmuir on the 13th of November, in the same year, he charged the insurgents at the head of the Scots THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT OF FOOT. 217 Greys, and contributed materially to the overthrow of the left wing of the rebel army. His Majesty rewarded him with the colonelcy of the ninth foot, in 1717 ; but he only retained this appointment eleven months. In 1728 he obtained the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment, and was removed, in 1731, to the eighth dragoons. In 1732 he succeeded to the title of Lord Cathcart ; he was appointed lord of the bed- chamber to King George II. in the following year, and was promoted to the colonelcy of the seventh horse, now sixth dra- goon guards. In 1739 he was advanced to the rank of major- general. His Lordship was chosen one of the representatives of the Scottish peerage in several parliaments ; and was go- vernor of Duncannon fort, and of Londonderry. An attack on the Spanish possessions in America having been resolved upon, in the year 173D, Lord Cathcart was selected to com- mand the expedition : at the same time he was appointed com- mander-in-chief in America ; but he died on his passage in December, 1740, and was buried on the beach of Prince Rupert's Bay, Dominica, where a monument was erected to his memory. William Harorave, AppoirJed \st January 1731. William Hargrave was appointed ensign in a regiment of foot in 1694, and he served in the wars of Queen Anne. He proved a good and useful officer, but was liot conspicuous for any quality calculated to attract attention. After serving twenty years, he was appointed mnjor of the thirty-sixth foot, and subs'^qnently lieut.-colonel of the seventh Royal Fusiliers. In 1731 he was promoted to the colonelcy of the thirty- first foot, and was appointed to the ninth in 1737. He was removed to the seventh royal fusiliers, and promoted to the rank of major-general in 1739, and was advanced to the rank of lieut. -general in 1743. He died in 1751. i.1 W ;:■ x.h &i William Handasyd, Appointed 21th January 1737. Colonel William Handasyd \,aa promoted frcn th fifteenth foot t? the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment 218 SUCCESSION OF COLON.'CLS. on the 27th of January 1*73*7, in succession ic Colonel William Hargrove, who was removed to the ninth foot. Brigadier- General Handasyd died near Hammersmith on the 27th of February 1745. Loud Henry Beauclerk, ^'V.ointed 22nd April 1745. Kino Ge ^ ' of pointed Colonel Lord Henry Beauclerk from the ..,. . ighth to the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment on tne 22nd of April 1745, in succession to Brigadier General Handasyd, deceased. Colonel Lord Henry Beauclerk retired from the service on the 8th of May, 1749. Henry Holmes, Appointed Sth May 1 749. Coloin'kl Lord Henry Beauclerk having retired from the service, Colonel Henry Holmes was appointed to the colonelcy of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment on the Sth of May 1749. Colonel Holmes was promoted to the rank of Major-General on the 2nd of February, 1756, and to that of Lieut.-General on the 2nd of April, 1759. Lieut.-General Holmes died in the year 1762. Sir James Adolphus Oughton, Appointed 20th August 1762. Colonel Oughton was removed by His Majesty King George III. from the colonelcy of the fifty-fifth to that of the thirty-first regiment on the 20th of August 1762, in suc- cession to Lieut.-General Holmes deceased. Colonel Oughton was promoted to the rank of major-general on the 15th of August 1761, and to that of lieut.-general on the 30th of April 1770. His Majesty King George III. also constituted him a Knight of the Order of the Bath. Lieut.-General Sir James Adolphus Oughton, K.B., died in April 1780. Thomas Clarke, Appointed 3rd May 1780. Major-General Thomas Clarke, from the Coldstream Guards, was appointed on the 3rd of May 1780 to the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment in succession to Lieut.- ^^ THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT OF FOOT. 219 General Sir James Adolphus Oughton, deceased. Major- General Clai-ke was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general on the 20th of November 1782 ; and on the 8th of February 1792, he was removed to the thirtieth regiment. On tlie 3rd of May, 1796, he was advanced to the rank of general. His decease occurred in the year 1799. Jamls Stuart, Appointed 8th February 1792. Major-General James Stuart was appointed from the half-pay ninetieth regiment, which corps was disbanded at the Peace of 1763, to tlie colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment, on the 8th of February 1792, in succession to Lieut.-General Thomas Clarke, removed to the thirtieth foot. Major- General Stuart's decease occurred in the following year. Henry £arl of Mulgrave, G.C.B. Appointed Sth February 1793. Lord Mulgrave entered the army on the Sth of June 1776, as an ensign in the first foot guards, in which regiment he was promoted lieutenant and captain on the 2nd of April 1778; on the 30th of August 1779 he was promoted to the rank of major in the eighty-fifth regiment, and to that of lieut.-colonel of the eighty-eighth regiment on the 4th of October 1780. He was removed to the forty-fifth regiment on the 9th of January 1782, and was appointed captain and lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards on the 6th of June 1783. He was advanced to the rank of colonel in the army on the 18th of November 1790. His Majesty King George III. conferred the colonelcy of the thirty-first regiment upon Colonel Lord Mulgrave on the Sth of February, 1793. Lord Mulgrave was advanced to the rank of major-general on the Grd October 1794 ; to that of lieut.-general on the 1st of January 1 801 ; and to that of general on the 25th of October 1809. Lord Mulgrave served in America from 1776 to the end of 1778; in the West Indies in 1780: — he commanded at Toulon in 1793; in Zealand in 1794; and in 1799 his Lordship was employed on a military mission to the Archduke Charles and Marshal SuvarofF During the course of his military career. Lord Mulgrave receiver' the thanks, in >^ 220 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. public orders, of the officers under wliom he served. His Lordship was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance on the 5th of May 1810, and held that appointment until the 31st of December, 1818. On the 15th of August 1812, he was created Earl of Mulgrave and Viscount Normanby. H" , Lordship was also appointed Governor of Scarborough Castle. On the 20th of May 1820, his Lordship was ^)poii.*ed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. General the Earl of Mulgrave died on the 12th of April 1831. Sir Henry Warde, G.C.B. Appointed ISth April 1831. In March 1783, this officer was appointed ensign in the first regiment of foot guards, and was promoteu to the ranlc of lieutenant and captain in 1792; in the 'allowing year he landed in Holland with the first troops sen*, to that 'country, and was wounded in storming the outworks at the siege of Valenciennes. He came home, and when r. covered, returned early in July 1794, and acted as adjutant to the third battalion of foot guards ; he returned in November, on being promoted to a company, with the rank of lieut. -colonel. He served in the expedition to Ostend, as lieut.-colonel, with Lieut.- General Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Helder, and was present in all the actions. On the 1st of January 1801, His Majesty King George III. conferred on him the brevet of colonel, and in 1804 he was appointed brigadier-general ; he served under Lord Cathcavr at Copenhagen in 1807, and his name was included in the vote of thanks from Parliament for his services on that expedition. He was appointed major-general on the 25th of April 1808, and he commanded the first brigade of guards, in the force under Lieut.-General Sir Davici Baird sent to Corunna in 1808, and returned after that battle. For his services at the battle of Corunna, he again received the thanks of Parliament, and a medal. He proceeded to India in 1809, and as second in command under Lieut.-General Abercromby, to the Mauritius in 1810, where he remained in command of the troops after the capture. For the conquest of the Island of the Mauritius his name was included in the vote of thanks from Parliament. He was afterwards acting governor for three months, and was subsequently appointed to THIRTV-FIK8T HEGIMCNT OP FOOT. 221 cS'.e command of the forces at the Mauritius. On the Ist of January 1813, Major-Geiieral Sir Henry Warde was appointed colonel of the sixty-eighth foot, and >^ hs advanced to the rank of iieut .-general on the4th of June, 18i3. In January 1815, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, and was advanced to the dignity of a Knight Grand Cross on the 13th of September, 1831 . On the 22nd of July 1830, he was promoted to the ranli of general. On the 13th of April 1831, General Sir Henry Warde was removed from the sixty-eighth to the colonelcy of the thirty FIP8T regiment. His decease occurred on the 1st of October, 13i4, at Alresford, in Hampshire. SiE Edward Barnes, G.C.B. Appoinied lOth October, 1834. This officer was appointed major in the ninety-ninth regi- ment on the 16th of November, 1794, which corps was directed to be raised early in that year, in consequence of the war with France. In the year 1796 the ninety -ninth regiment was reduced. Major Barnes was promoted to the brevet rank of lieut.-colonel on the 1st of January, 1800, and on the 17th of February following, was appointed from the half-pay of the late ninety-ninth Foot to be major in the seventy-ninth regiment, from which he was promoted to the rank of lieut.- colonel of the forty-sixth regiment on the 23rd of April 1807. He "■'as promoted colonel in the army on the 25th -of July 1810, and was advanced to the rank of major-general on the .'th of June 1813. He served on the staff in Spain and Portugal, to which he was appointed on the 8th of August, 1812, and commanded a brigade at the battles of Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, and Orthes. He also served with the army in tiie campaign of 1815 in the Netherlands and France, as adjutant-general, and was severely wounded in the battle of Waterloo. For his services the major-general was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, and had the honor to wear a cross and three clasps ; was also appointed a Knight of the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa, und of the first class of St. Anne of Russia. Major-General Sir Edward Barnes was appointed colonel of che late ninety-ninth regiment on the 24th of October i 222 succaeoi (' op colonels. 1816, and on the 13th oi' January 1819, he was appointed major-general on the staff at Ceylon, of which island he was appoir* 1 governor, and lieut In! v, — • rmany) invested by the French . • • ';\ B bvked for BetuiMd to Oreal Britain in oonee- quence of the Re- bellion in foTor of theAmn in Flen- den..lter Iheiup- Flu- den. the Ptetender. KeRelbel. ii«n. Beqihents. COLONEUI. 3rd Troop Horse) Guards . • •) Earl of Albemarle. 1742 1746 • • 4th ditto ditto . Earl of Efllngham . 1742 1746 • • 2nd ditto Horse Gre- nadier Guards . EarlofCraufUrd . 1742 1746 • » BOTal Regiment Horse Guards Earl of Hertford . 1742 1746 • • 1st Horse (1st Dra- goon Guards) . . Earl of Pembroke . 1742 1746 • • 4th Irish Horse (7th Dragoon Guards) Sir John Ligonier . 1742 1745 • • 1st Dragoons . . Hawley . . . 1742 1745 • • 2nd ditto . . . Campbell . . . 1742 Remd. in Flaaden • • 3rd ditto .... Honey wood. . . 1742 1745 • • 4th ditto .... Rich. .... 1742 1746 1747 6th ditto (Inniskilling] Lord Cadogan . . 1742 t Fluden. > 7th ditto .... Cope .... 1742 • • Foot GcAju>a. Ist Foot Guards Ist \ Battalion . . ./ Duke of Cumberland 1742 1745 1747 2nd ditto ditto . Duke of Marlborough 1742 1745 • ■ 3rd ditto ditto . Earl of Dnnmore . 1742 1745 1747 Infamtrt. 1st Foot 1st Batt. . St. Clair . . . 1744 1745 • • 3rd ditto (Bufb) . Howard . . . 1742 1745 1747 4th ditto . . . Barrel .... 1744 1745 fl ■ 8th ditto . . . Onslow .... 1742 1745 1746 11th ditto . . . Comwallis . . . 1742 Bemd. In Flnnden t • 12th ditto . . . Duroure . . . 1742 1745 • • 13th ditto . . . Pulteney . . . 1742 1745 1746 18th ditto . . . Mordaunt . . . 1743 1745 • • 19th ditto (Green) . Howard . . . 1744 Remd. In Flenden • • 20th ditto . . . Bligh .... 1742 1745 1748 21st ditto, Royal Nth. British Fusiliers . Campbell . . . 1742 1745 1747 23rd ditto, Royal \ Welsh Fusiliers . / Peers .... 1742 1745 1747 25th ditto . . . Earl of Rothes. . 1744 1745 1747 2Sth ditto . . . Bragg .... 1744 1745 • « 3l8t ditto . . . Handasyd . . . 1742 1745 , ^ 32nd ditto . . . Skelton .... 1742 ) Remained in 1 f Flnnden. t 33rd ditto . . . Johnson . . . 1742 • • 34th ditto . . . Cholmondeley . . 1744 1745 • • 36th ditto . . . Fleming . . . 1744 1745 1747 37th ditto . . . Ponsonby . . . 1742 1745 1747 42nd ditto . . . Lord Semphill 1744 1745 • • 48th ditto (orig.59th) LordHarryBeauclerk 1744 1745 1747 ( 225 ) Memoir of the Services of Colonel Samuel Bolton, C.B. of the TUIRTT-FIB8T Regiment. This officer was appointed an ensign in the tuibtt-first regiment on the 5th of February 1807, in which regiment he was promoted to be lieutenant on the* 6th of April 1 809. Lieutenant Bolton served with the second battalion during the Peninsular war from 1808 to 1814, and was present at the battles of Talavera, Busaco, and Albuhera, in the last of which he was wounded: took part in the capture of Marshal Girard's division at Arroyo dos Molinos on the 28th of October 1811, and shared in the battle of Yittoria; also in the actions in the Pyrenees, at the Nive, Garris, Orthes, Aire, and Toulouse. Lieutenant Bolton was appointed adjutant to the second battalion on the 31st of March 1813, but returned to his duty as lieutenant upon the reduction of the second battalion on the 24th of October 1814. He wa& promoted to the rank of captain on the 24th of October 1822; and on the Ith of February 1825, embarked with the left wing of the regi- ment for the East Indies. Captain Bolton was promoted to the rank of major in the thibtt-first regiment on the 14th of June 1833, and to that of lieutenant-colonel on the 24th of November 1835. Lieut. -Colonel Bolton served in the Afghanistan campaign of 1842, and commanded the thirtt-first regiment in the action at Mazeena, in the Shinwaree valley, on the 26th of July 1842 ; at Tezeen on the 13th of September 1842, and at the occupation of Cabool by Major-General Pollock. For his services in AfFghanistan, Lieut.-Colonel Bolton received a medal, and was promotfi^d to the rank of colonel on the 23rd of December 1842 ; ht; was also appointed aide- de-camp to Her Majesty, and was nominated a Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath. Colonel Bolton served with the army of the Sutlej in 1845, as Brigadier to the first brigade under the command of General Sir Hugh (now Viscount) Gough, Commander-in- Chief in India at that period. Colonel Bolton received a severe wound at the battle of Moodhee on the 18th of Decem- ber 1845, from the efiiects of which he died on the 4th of January 1846. yi'- ..--¥ 226 APPKNOIX. I^EUT.-COLONEL TUOMAS SkIM<£R, C.B.* rT.1 LiEUT.-CoLONEL Thomas Skinner, tho eldest son of Lieut.- General John Skinner, while at Eton College, was on the 25th of January 1816, appointed to an ensigncy in the sixteenth regiment of foot, to which regiment his father had been attached for thirty-nine years, before he attained the rank of Major-General ; Ensign Skinner joined the sixteenth regi- ment in Ireland in the year 1817, then commanded by tlie late Major-General (then Colonel) Tolley. Major-General Tolley, the best Greek scholar of his day at Westminster, amused his leisure with classical literature, and invited the young Etonian to share his studies ; and thus making complete his education, fortunately imbued him with that taste fur letters which secured to him through life a most agreeable resource. In 1819, the regiment being ordered to Ceylon, he obtained, by purchase, a lieutenancy on the 6th of August, and proceeded to that colony. While there he was employed to make the roads constructed by the late Lieut.-General Sir Edward Barnes, afterwards Colonel of the thibty-first regiment. Lieutenant Skinner was appointed adjutant to the sixteenth regiment on the 20th of April 1820, and did duty in that capacity until 1822, when his Commanding Officer returned to England, and obtaining leave of absence for his young friend, they travelled home together through India and Egypt, visit!" Malta and Sicily, and thence through Italy and Franc England. Lieutenant Skinner was promoted to an unattached company on the 9th of October 1823, and on the 25th of March, 1824, was appointed Cap- tain in the thirty- first regiment. In February l'i25, he sailed with tin left wing of the tuirty-first in the Scaleby Castle for Calcutta, the regiment being ordered to reinforce the army at that time acting in Burmaii ; but owing to tlie burning of iier consort, the Kent East Indiaman, in the Bay of Biscay, with the right wing, the regiment was inefficient, * This accouut of the services of Lieut.-Colonel Skinner has (with I)ernussiou) been abridged from a printed (but unpublished) *• Sketch of the Military Services of Lieut.-General Skinner and his Sons," hy Allan Maclean Skinner, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister at Law, youngest son of the late Licut.-Uencral Skinner. APPENDIX. 327 and remained in garrison at Calcutta. In 1829, Captain Skinner returned home on leave of absence in the Cartha,».nd nearly suffered shipwreck on the coast of Wales. The vessel being driven by storm when off Liverpool, was unable to weather Bardsea Island, and fortunately passed safely through the narrow channel between that rock, and the coast of Car- narvon into Pwelli Bay. Me did not lose his time in India ; for with his brother, Captain James Skinner, of the sixty- first regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, he travelled to the sources of the Ganges and the Jumna, an account of which was published in 1833, from letters written at the time, iii two volumes, entitled " Excursions in India," and the work passed through two editions. During his leave of absence he travelled over England and Scotland, and made himself as well acquainted with those parts of his native land, as, in the course of his professional duties, he had previously become with Ireland. In December 1833, by permission of General Lord Hill, Commanding in Chief, he travelled by the Holy Land and Bagdad to India to rejoin the thirty-first regi- ment. An account of these travels, in two volumes, was published in 1836, under the title of" Adventures during u Journey overland to India" which also passed through two editions. On the 24th of November, 1835, he was promoted Major in the thirty-first regiment. Emulous of his father's skir as an officer of Light Infantry, he diligently cultivated that branch of the service, availing himself of the opportunity of practising manoeuvres in the field afforded to those serving in India, by the collection of large bodies of men at the prin- cipal stations. In 1840, his health being affected by the climate, Lord Hill considerately forwarded to him, ttirough the General commanding in India, leave of absence, of which he declined to avail himself, as he thought his services might be useful in the then state of India. On the 23rd of Novem- ber 1840, he was entrusted to take from Chinsurah a large body of recruits, about twenty young officers, and about twenty- two young women and as many children, to their destinations where they arrived in health, and without complaint of any sort against them in the districts through which they passed. The Commander-in-Chief in India thus exprfssed his thanks for this unprecedented success in such duty. " The Commander-in-Chief takes an early opportunity of con. ■" veying his best thanks to Major Skinner, of Her Majesty's q2 I l;lif '^ of 228 APPENDIX. Kv'- 1 " THIRTY-FIRST regiment, for the forethought, caution^ and '' exertion shown by him in marching a body of 489 recruits " from Chinsurah to Cawnpore and Agra, without the loss of " a man, except one accidentally drowned while bathing in " the Soane. His Excellency requests that Major Skiimer " will report to him in what degree the medical officers " contributed to this very desirable result, in order that " their skill and attention may be duly appreciated and " remembered.** Major Skinner, for this service, was rewarded with the appointment of Commandant of the Convalescent Depdt at Landour. Upon the march of the army under Major-General Pollock to Aifghanistan, where Captain James Skinner, of the sixty- first Bengal Native Infantry, was reported to be a prisoner, having been wounded on the retreat from Cabool, Major Skinner resigned at once his lucrative and pleasant post, and by forced journeys, joined the THiRTr-FiRST regiment, in Febru- ary 1842 ; his anxiety for his brother, whom he had hoped to be in part the means of rescuing, only appeased by the distress- ing certainty of his violent and untimely death. Major Skin- ner rendered very important services at the battle of Mazeena, fur which he was particularly thanked by Brigadier Monteath ; Major Skinner's account of the transaction was also included in the despatches published in the *' London Gazette." From the fatigue and exposure in the action at Mazeena on the 26th of July 1842, Major Skinner was seized with the fever of that country, living, to avoid the heat and dust, in a hole dug in the ground, the air being pestilent and the water corrupt, from the mortality of animals. His life was, how- ever, spared for the service of his country. Though still suffering from the malignant disease, which rest might then have cured, he commenced his labours, being removed from the sick list on the very day he marched with the second division, under Major-General McCaskill, commanding, on the 8th of September 1842, the advance guard to Soorkhab, on the 9th to JugduUuck ; a running light being kept up the whole way; on the 10th to Eutta Sung; and on the 11th the rear guard to Tczeen. He was specially thanked in Major- General McCaskill's despatches for the manner in which he performed these duties. In the afternoon of the 1 2th of September he was despached to the heights of the Huft-Kotul, APPEKDIX. 229 and commenced at daylight of the 13th, by attacking the eiieniy on tlie heights, those operations which ended in the victory of Tezeeu. Major-general Pollock stated, " that the Major's * ' duty was performed with great gallantry, and his operations '' contributed much to frustrate the attempts of the enemy on " the right flank." The Major-General enclosed in the de- spatches the detailed account of Major Skinner's movements, which were published in the " London Gazette." Proceeding from Tezeen to Cabool on the 10th of October, he comanded five companies of the thirty-first regiment at the destruction of the Great Bazaar, which, from the skilful arrangement of the force, was effected almost without loss of life. On the march from Cabool to India his conduct was thought from time to time deserving of praise by those under whom he acted. On his arrival at Ferozepore, he was chosen for the imposing duty of commanding the Guard of Honor, consisting of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, escorting the embassy to Lahore. On the 23rd of December 1 842, he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-colonel in the army, was three days afterwards made a Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath, and was presented by the government of India with the silver medal of Cabool, bearing on one side " Cabool 1842," and on the other " Victoria Vindex." Unfortunately Lieut.-Colonel Skinner did not live long to enjoy the rewards of his useful services, for his decease occurred on the 5th of May 1843, at Mussoorie, in the Himalaya Mountains, from disease brought on by privation and fatigue during the AfFghan campaign. Lieut.-Colonel Skinner was buried the next morning at Landour with military honors, the arms of a native corps being borrowed for the European invalids stationed there at their own request. They formed the funeral procession and firing party, an honorable mark of respect never before paid by them on any similar occasion. The body was attended to the grave by every European, civil or military, in the place, and by a very large proportion of the native population, to whom he had been previously known as commandant, and by whom he was greatly loved and deeply lamented. His b^'other officers erected over his remains a tomb of Delhi stone, and his death was announced to the regiment by Colonel Bolton in a regi- mental order, which did full justice to his merits "as a good 230 APTENTMX. << and gallant officer,^' expressing at the same time, that '< he ** was devotedly attached to his profession^ and that he was the ♦* warm advocate and steady friend of the well-deserving ■" soldier.'* Major Gkorqb Baldwin. This officer commenced his military career as ensign in tlie thirty-sixth regiment, on the 2nd of June 1808. He served in Holland during 1809 and 1810, and was present at the cap- ture of Walcheren and siege of Flushing. Ensign Baldwin was removed from the thirty-sixth to the third Ceylon regi- ment on the 4th of April 1811, and was promoted to the ranlc of lieutenant in the fourteenth regiment of foot on the 9th of November 1814. Lieutenant Baldwin was present at the memorable battle of Waterloo^ for which he received a medal, and served at the storming of Cambray on the 24th of June 1815. He exchanged from che half-pay of the seventy- fifth regiment to theTHiaxT-FiF.sT on the 14th of March 1822, and embarked for India on the 7th of February 1825, with the right wing of the regiment on board the ship Kent, which was burnt at sea on the 1st of March following. Lieutenant Baldwin received a severe injury when the ship was in flames, by an iron spike running into tiis thigh. Lieutenant Baldwin was promoted to the rank of Captain in the thirtt-first regiment on the 14th of June 1833. He served in the cam- paign of Affgfaanistan in 1842 ; was present in the action at Mazeena on the 26th of July 1842 ; at Tezeen on the 13th of September following ; and at the occupation of Cabool by Major-General Pollock. For his services in Affghanistan he was rewarded with a medal, and received the brevet rank of major on the 23rd of December 1842. On the 8th of October 1 844 he was promoted to the rank of major in the thirty- first regiment. Major Baldwin served with the army of the Sutlej in 1845, was present at the battles of Moodkee and Ferozeshah ; in the latter he was mortally wounded. Major Baldwin died on the 30th of December 1845. \ As the Tliirlieth, Thirty-first, and Tliirty- second Regiments were originally raised, in 1702, as Marine Corps, and served in that capacity until the year 1714, when they were retained, as Regiments of regular Infantry, on the Establishment of the Army, the fol- lowing account of the Marine Corps is appended, — it being found impracticable to record the earlier services of the Thirtieth, Thirty-first and Thirty-second Regi- ments distinct from those of the Marine Corps^ in con- sequence of their being employed, from 1702 to 1714, by detachments on board the Fleet, and engaged on various services at Sea, as well as on land, according to the purposes for which they were originally raised. AN A HISTORICAL RECORD or THE MARINE CORPS, I . aOHTAtWIW* AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR FORMATION AND SERVICES FROM 1664 TO 1748; AT WHICH YBBIOD TBOBB CORPS CEAIED TO lOBH PAM Of TBI BfTABLISHHBMT OW THE BEaULAB ABHT. FROM THE YEAR 1755 TBS rBUKirr cobps op „ ROYAL MARINES BATB been CNDBB THE COIfTBOL OP THB LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF THE ADMIRALTT. OOMFILin BT RICHARD CANNON, Esq., ASjrVTANT-OBNBBAL'B OtPICB, HOBSB-aUABDS. ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES. k ■*., ll » > I I! '4 JilAl :» ' i iia K'lY' t'»J.l4.,,,.(l I'^V ^.u. '*1- hh ■■' *>4^l ■' THE MARINE REGIMENTS. CONTENTS OfTRB YlAI RECORDS OF THE MARINE CORPS. Intbodcction. 1664 Formation of a Corps for Itiea'Service on cum- mencement of war with Holland Designated " The Admiral's Maritime Jiegi- ^, ment, and commanded by the Duke of York, afterwards King James IL t , * 'iu$i>\ • , 1672 Formation of additional Corps of Marines on renewal of hostilities with Holland 1689 The Admiral* 8 Maritime Regiment incorporated in the Second Foot-Guards 1702 Formation of six Regiments of Marines . - — Six other Regiments of In&i^tiyjelected for Sea- service . . . ii i. . . The Royal Warrant for forming the six Regi- ments of Marines, and for selecting six other Regiments for Sea-service i • .i < >; ■"•, Other Regiments embarked, at different periods during the war, to serve as Marines on boai^ the Fleet Rules and Instructions for the duties, pay, and clothing of the Marine forces a2 Pam 8 '>Vi ZXVl CONTENTS OF THE RECORDS TlAB 1702 Placed under the control of the Lord High Ad- miral, the Prince George of Denmark Appointment of Brigadier-General W. Seymour, of the Fourth Foot, to superintend the details of the Marine Regiments .... Uniform prescribed for the Marine forces Independent Companies of Marines formed for the fleet in the West Indies Services of the Marines on board the fleet in the Mediterranean . . . . . 1704 Proceeded in the fleet to Lisbon, to aid the cause of the Archduke Charles of Austria Proceeded against Barcelona, but afterwards withdrew, and ^re-embarked . . Attack and Capture of Gibraltar . . . Engagement of the British and French fleets in the Mediterranean ..... Siege of Gibraltar by the Spaniards and French 1705 The attempt to retake the fortress abandoned after a siege of seven months The Marine Corps distributed in the several ships of war on the coast of Spain ■ Proceeded against Barcelona with the troops imder the Earl of Peterborough Capture of Fort Montjuich by storm Surrender of the garrison of Barcelona . 1706 Siege of Barcelona by the French . . The French raised the siege and retreated Capture of Carthagena Capture of Alicant Surrender of IviAB CONTENTS OF THE RECORDS 1739 Fonnation of six laments of Marines . . Fleet of five ships, with a detachment of Ma- rines, under Admiral Vernon, proceeded against Porto-Bello .... 1740 An additional regiment of Marines, of four battalions, formed at New York in North America, and Colonel Spotswood appointed Colonel-Commandant .... The six regiments of Marines augmented from 7CX) to 1000 men each .... Augmentation of the four invalid companies of Marines ...... Usefulness of Marine forces, as proved on for- mer occasions, now generally admitted Formation of four additional regiments of Ma- rines, of 1000 men each .... Attack and capture of Fort Chagre Fleet under Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, and troops, including the six Marine regiments under General Lord Cathcart, proceeded to the West Indies, for the purpose of attacking the Spanish possessions in South America Death of General Lord Cathcart at Dominica . Brigadier-General Wentworth succeeded to the military command of the expedition 1741 The whole collected at Jamaica under Admiral Vernon . ..... Proceeded to the Grande Playa, to windward of the town of Carthagena Capture of forts St. Jago and St. Philip Capture of the castle of Bocca Chica Capture of Fort St. o ieph ■ Capture of the castle of Grande Castello Attack of St. Lazar by escalade Paob 22 23 24 25 26 27 OF THE MARINE CORPS. XXIX il Repulse of the troops, and abandonment of the enterprise ...... The forts and castle of Carthagena demolished The expedition returned to Jamaica Another expedition proceeded to the island of Cuba ....... Returned to Jamaica after encountering much sickness and numerous casualties . . 1742 The island of Raitan, in the bay of Honduras, taken possession of, and placed in a state of defence ....... A detachment sent to the assistance of General Oglethorpe, in South Carolina, against the Spaniards ...... Recal of Admiral Vernon and General Went- worth ....... The independent Companies at Jamaica (now the Forty-ninth regiment) and the Marines on board of the fleet, completed with effective men ; the remainder of the troops returned to England . .* . The command of the fleet in the West Indies devolved on Sir Chaloner Ogle . t 1743 Another expedition proceeded to South America, under the command of Commodore Knowles of the Navy, with 400 men of the Thirty- eighth regiment and 600 Marines Sailed to Antigua, and proceeded to attack La Guira in Terra Firma Proceeded to Cura5oa to refit Sailed again for Porto Cavallo Attack of Ponta Brava Returned to Jamaica . Declaration of war against France on 31st March, 1743 PAttB 28 29 30 31 32 ;;■:> \:. 33 34 35 XXX CONTEirrS OP TBB RBGOItl>S Yua Paob 1744 Engagement of a party of Marines of the Essex ship-of-war in the Mediterranean . . 85 Active means adopted for completing the ten regiments of Marines .... — 1*745 Expedition against Cape Breton ... 36 Capitulation of Louisburg and of the Island of Cape Breton — 1746 Complaints investigated respectii^ the settle^ ment of accounts in the corps of Marines . 37 Contemplated expedition against Quebec . 38 Expedition proceeded against Port V Orient . — Disembarked in Quimperlay Bay, and advanced against Flymeur . .... — Re-embarked and sailed for Quiberon . . — Returned to England .... 39 1747 Royal Warrant issued on the 28th February, 1747, for placing the Marine Forces under the control of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty ...... — Renewed efforts of the King of France against the Britbh possessions m North America, and in the East Indies ..... 40 Victory over the French Fleet by Vice- Admiral Lord Anson and Rear^Admiral Sir Peter Warren, KB., on the 3rd of May, 1747 . 41 Another victory over the French Fleet, by Com- modore Fox, in June 1747 ... 42 A further victory obtained on the 14th of October, 1747, by Admiral Sir Edward Hawke, over the French Fleet . . — 1748 A fleet proceeded under Admiral Boscawen, with Marines and other troops, to attack the Mauritius ..... 43 Proceeded thence to the coast of Coromandel , — Disembarked and marched towards Pondicherry 44 OF THB MARINE CORPS. XXXI TlAB Paoi 1748 Obtained posBession of Arian Coupon . 44 Re-embarked after having demolished the fort of Arian Ceupan ..... — Another expedition, under Rear-Admiral Knowles, proceeded against St. Jago in Cuba 45, Squadron returned to Jamaica " . , . — The King of France expressed a desire for Peace — Definitive treaty of Peace concluded at Aix-la- Chapelle on 18th October, 1748 . . 46 The ten regiments of Marines disbanded in November, 1748 ..... — 1755 Preparations for renewing war with France . — ■^-— Re-formation of the present Corps of Marines — Augmentations made in the Army and Navy . — Fifty Companies of Marines, formed in Three Divisions, raised under the control of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty . . — An Act of Parliament for the regulation of the Marine Forces while doing duty on Shore . — 1802 The Royal Authority granted for the Marine Forces to be styled " 7%c Boyal Marines " . 47 1805 A Fourth Division formed at Woolwich by Order in Council dated 15th August 1805 . . — 1827 Presentation of Colours, on the part of His Majesty King George IV., by His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, then Lord High Admiral, and afterwards King William xV.. . . . . . . 4o PLATES. Costume of Marines in 1742 Present Colours of the Royal Marines i ( li .i! Ijl -i ?■ ■■ 'll, ( V M4. to face Pace 1 » 48 ■~ ;j ■•. '• '.; w'; «- ( xxxiii ) *:-* CONTENTS OF THE APPENDIX TO THE MARINE COUPS. Yr*R Authorities were granted by King William III. In 1694; by Queen Anne in 1713; and by King George I. in 1715, for deciding the Bank and Precedence of the Regiments of Infantry, and for giving Numeral Titles to the several Regiments, according to the dates of formation, or of being placed on the English establishment; as recommended by Boards of General Officer's, at the several periods stated : — These regulations were con« firmed by the Warrants of King George II., dated 1st July, 1751, and of King George III., dated 19th December, 1768 1660 The Regiments of Infantry, exclusive of the Three regiments of Foot- Guards, from the period of the Restoration of King Charles II., in 1660, to 1684, consisted of — The 1st, or the Royal Regiment. The 2nd, or the Queen's Royal (First Tangier) Regiment. The 3rd, or the Holland Regiment. The 4tli, (the Second Tangier) Regiment. 1685 The 5th and 6th Regiments were formed in Holland, in the year 1674, and were brought to England on the requisition of King James II., in 1685, — from which period they were authorized to take rank in the English Army — f'K Pasi V<^ 49 . 'Ill' \ XXXIV C0NTBNT8 OF APPENDIX TO MARINE CORPS. YlAB 1686 The R^ments of Infantry formed during the reign of King James II., and placed on the establishment of the army, were — From 7th Royal Fusiliers to 17th Regiment 1688 During the reign of King William III. : and From 18th Regiment to 27th R^ment 1689 The 18th Royal Irish Regiment was formed in Ireland in 1684 ; and the 21st Royal North British Fusiliers in Scotland in 1678 : They were placed on the English establishment, the 18th in 1686^ and the 21st in 1689, fh>m which periods their numerical rank took effect 1702 Formed during the reign of Queen Anne : ^ From 28th Regiment to 39th Regimrat 1717 Formed during the reign of King George I. : From 40th Regiment to 41st Regiment 1739 Formed during the reign of King George 11. : From 42nd R^ment to 70th R^;iment And The Marine Corps ..... 1775 Formed during the reign of King George III. : From 7l8t Regiment to 93rd Regiment 1798 The Scots Brigade brought from Holland 1800 The Rifle Brigade originally formed 1824 Formed during the reign of King George IV. : From 94th R^ment to 99th Regiment Paoi 49 50 52 54 55 Jhr (anfim,< JUittarv Mtcrrd^ ¥mti^tilA t^ ^i^n^Vn ,S* tif^gU ■f!^. •'~i ,J •* King FORMATION AND SERVICES or TBI •f: 1 ! ■■'-■■( Vi MARINE CORPS. The advantages arising from the services of corps trained to the use of arms on board of ship, as well as on land, were found when the British navy acquired a superiority over that of other nations of Euro])e ; and as the safety of Great Britain, from its insular position, chiefly depends on the efficiency and oxccilence of her fleets, the importance and value of Marine Forces have consequently been at all times acknov lodged and appreciated by the Sovereign, as well as by the Nati at large. The first corps raised for Sea-service, of which 1664 history gives an account, is that which was formed by King Charles II., in the year 1664, when the war with HoHand took place : this corps was commanded by the Duke of York (afterwards King James II.), then Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, and was designated " The Admiral's Maritime Regiment."* n ♦ By Order in Council, dated 26th October, 1 664, it was ilrected, that twelve hundred land-soldiers should be raised, in order > be in readiness for distribution in His Majesty's fleets; the whole > form one regiment, of six companies, under a Colonel, with a Lieutenant- Colonel, and Serjeant-Major ; each company consisted of two hundred soldiers, with a captain, lieutenant, ensign, drummer, four Serjeants, and four corporals. The regiment was armed with firelocks. A subsequent Order in Council, dated Isf April, 1668, authorised the drawing of such numbers of soldiers from the Foot Guards, for His Majesty's service at sea, during the summer, as the Lord High Admiral might require. / B FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. -.;■ .! 1612 In the year 1672 a dispute on the subject of naval precedence, and other causes, gave rise to another war with the Dutch, and battalions for Sea-service were formed, as the occasions of the State required, by drafts from the land-forces, which were embarked on board the iieet; several companies of the Foot Guards were employed on the Marine duty; these companies were engaged in a sharp fight with the Dutch fleet on the 28th of May, 1672, in which upwards of two thousand men were killed ; they were also engaged in several other actions during the war which ended in February, 1674. 1689 In 1689 King William III. incorporated "tlie AdmiraVs Regiment*^ (which was then considered the third regiment of Infantry) in the Second, now the Coldstream, regiment of Foot Guards. Two Marine regiments were, about the same time, established for service on board the fleet, which were disbanded in 1698. 1702 On the recommencement of hostilities, in 1702, with France and Spain, both of which nations possessed powerful fleets as well as numerous armies, the British Parliament felt the expediency of enabling the Queen to increase the efiiciency of her navy, by forming Corpa of Marines^ which could act at sea as well as on land. Six regiments were accordingly added in the year 1702 to the regular Army as Marine corps, and six other of the regular regiments of Infantry were appointed for Sea-service ; as shown in the following list. The six Regiments of Marines were : — Colonel Thomas Saunderson's, now thirtieth foot. Colonel George Villiers's, now thirty-first foot. Colonel Edward Fox's, now thirty-second foot. Colonel Harry Mordaunt's; disbanded in 1713. Colonel Henry Holl's ; disbanded in 1713. Colonel Viscount Shannon's; disbanded in 1713. FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 6 The six regiments of Foot for Sea-service were : — 1702 Colonel Ventris Columbine's, now sixth foot. Colonel Thomas Erie's, now nineteenth foot. Colonel Gustavus Hamilton's, now twentieth foot. Colonel Lord Lucas's, now thirty-fourth foot. Colonel Earl of Donegal's, now thirty-tifth foot. Colonel Lord Charlemont's, now thirty-sixth foot. Her Majesty's Order for levying this body of men was contained in the following Royal Warrant, dr.L^J Istof June, 1702:— " Anne R. " Our pleasure is, that this establishment of six regiments of Marines, and six other regiments for Sea- Service, do commence and take place from the respective times of raising. " And our further pleasure is, that the order given by our dearest brother the late King, deceased, and such orders as are, or shall be, given by us, touching the pay or entertainment of our said forces, or any of them, or any charges thereunto belonging, shall be duly complied with, and that no new charge be added to this establishment without being communicated to our High Treasurer, or Commissioners of our Treasury for the time being. " Given at our Court at St. James's, on the first day " of June in the first year of our reign. " By Her Majesty's Command. " GODOLPHIN." Other regiments were also embarked, at different periods, during the war, on board the fleet to act as Marines, and the efficiency and usefulness of these corps, while so employed, were attested by the capture of several fortresses in Spain ; more especially that of Gibraltar in 1704, the taking of which was effected by the Navy and Marines. b2 ; l\ 11 I ih u- 1^ '- I 1 4 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1702 Rules and Instructions for the better government of the Marine regiments were issued by authority of Her Majesty Queen Anne, on the 1st of July, 1702, in which it was directed, "That when on shore they were " to be quartered in the vicinity of the dock-yards, in ** order to guard them from embezzlement, or from any " attempt that might be made on them by an enemy." Full instructions were also given as to their pay, subsistence, and clothing, which directed, "that the " same deductions should be made for clothing as was " usual in the land forces. Also that one day's pay in " every year be deducted from officers and soldiers for " the Hospital. " When on board ship they were to have an equal " proportion of provisions with the seamen, without ** any deductions from their pay, the soldiers receiving " short allowance money like the seamen." In order to render such portions of the Marine regiments as might be on shore, useful on all occasions when their services might be required. Her Majesty directed, that it should rest with herself, or with the Lord High Admiral, the Prince George of Denmark, to dispose of them at such places nearest to the several dock-yards as might be judged most convenient ; and as there might be occasion for labourers to despatch necessary public works, Her Majesty empowered the High Admiral, or the Commissioners for executing that office, to cause to be employed in the dock-yards so many of the marine soldiers as might be judged fitting, and to make them such daily allowance for their labour, besides their ordinary pay, as should seem reasonable. The Marine forces being thus placed under the control of the Lord High Admiral, His Royal Highness was pleased in 1702, to nominate Colonel William FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. O Seymour (of the fourth regiment of foot) to superintend 1702 the whole, with the rank of Brigadier- General, whose peculiar duties were to observe, that the men were com- fortably quartered, that the ofRcers were attentive in their respective departments, and that the marine soldiers, when embarked on board of ship, were sup- plied with proper sea-clothes and other suitable neces- saries. When the Marines were serving afloat, they were to be under the command of the Naval Officers of the ships. The Uniform of the Marine forces consisted of high- crowned leather-caps, covered with cloth of the same colour as the facings of the regiment, and ornamented with devices, the same as the caps worn by the grena- diers; scarlet frock-coat; buff waist-belt ; black pouch carried in front, with bayonet-belt attached; buff gaiters. During the reign of Queen Anne, certain Indepen- dent Companies of Marines were raised for the purpose of aiding in the defence of the British possessions in the West Indies. The first important service on which the Marine corps were employed in this reign, was on board the fleet under Admiral Sir Cloudesly Shovel, then com- manding in the Mediterranean, who was instructed to make every possible arrangement, by conciliation or by conquest, among the dependencies of the French and Spanish monarchies, in order to ensure a cordial recep- tion of the Archduke Charles of Austria, in opposition to Philip, Duke of Anjou, of France, to the throne of Spain. After some delays, the Archduke arrived at Lisbon 1704 under Admiral Sir George Rooke, on the '25th of February, 1704, in order to concert a plan of future operations with his ally the King of Portugal. m i FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. i I'l i 4^i I II n N, lit 1Y04 Sir George Rooke, after cruising with the fleet on the coast of Portugal, returned to Lisbon, and took the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt on board, with whom he . sailed oa the 20th of A pril to Barcelona. On the arrival of the fleet before Barcelona, the Prince of Hesse sent a letter to Don Velasco, the governor, requiring him to surrender the town, which he refused. Information, how- ever, being received that the city would declare for Charles IH. if a show of attack were made, — sixteen hundred Marines were accordingly landed at the re- quest, and under the command, of Major- General the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, on the 19th of May, 1704: this force, being found to be inadequate for the purpose, was re-embarked on the following day. The next object of attack was the Rock of Gibraltar y where the Prince of Hesse landed in the afternoon of the 21st of July, 1704, with 1800 British and Dutch Marines. Acting upon the decision of a council of war. His Highness proceeded to cut off" all communi- cation with the mainland, to bombard the place, and to reduce it to the obedience of Charles HI., King of Spain. The governor, on being summoned, refused to surrender, alleging that all the garrison had taken an oath of allegiance to King Philip V. Admiral Sir George Rooke having directed a strong force to proceed against the South Mole, the enemy was driven from his guns; several boats, manned and armed, were then detached under the command of Captain Whitaker, of the Navy, who soon obtained possession of the great platform : about one hundred of the besiegers, whose impetuous bravery had carried them within the effects of a mine connected with the fort, were killed or wounded by the explosion . the rest, advancing rapidly, gained a redoubt half- FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 7 way between the mole and the town. The Governor, 1704 at the urgent desire of the inhabitants, was induced to capitulate, and the Prince of Hesse took possession of the garrison on the evening of Sunday the 24th of July 1704. The loss in effecting the capture of this impor- tant fortress was sixty-one killed, and two hundred and six wounded. The attack of the seamen was one of the boldest and most difficult ever made, being obliged to climb up rocks and precipices. Thus was taken, in three days, a fortress since made impregnable to all assaults. The loss of Gibraltar disconcerted the measures of Philip v., and of his grandfather Louis XIV. Eight thousand men, under the Marquis de Villadarias, were immediately detached from the Spanish army to retake the fortress ; and the French Admiral received orders to engage the British and Dutch fleets, and toco-operate in the recapture of Gibraltar. The hostile fleets engaged on the 24th of August, about eleven leagues south of Malaga, and, after each had suffered severely, they were separated in the night. The enemy retired to Toulon, and Sir George Rooke sailed to Gibraltar. Here, after having held a Council of War, it was deter- mined to return home ; and the confederate fleet sailed for England, arriving at Spilliead on the 25th of September. Sir John Leake and Admiral Vander- dussen were left at Lisbon to protect the coast of Portugal, and relieve Gibraltar, if it should be besieged as was anticipated. The Marquis de Villadarias commenced the siege of Gibraltar on the 22nd of October, and the garrison, composed of Marines, under the command of the Prince of Hesse, sustained a siege by seven thousand men. The purpose of the enemy was to have stormed from the South Mole, united with the desperate attempt of 'iiii Llil 8 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. '■', i 'I i T r I ^») 1704 a Spanish forlorn-hope climbing the rock, and a general attack from the mainland. The fortress was maintained against very superior numbers ; and the fire of the enemy's batteries having damaged the works, a body of men was landed from the fleet to assist in the defence. Brigadier Fox, and several other officers and men, having been killed on the 5th of December, 1704, aid was solicited from the army in Portugal. Admiral Sir John Leake accordingly sailed from Lisbon on the !Oth of December, with a fleet, having on board a battalion of the first and second foot guards ; Barrymore's regiment, noAV thirteenth foot ; Donegal's regiment, now thirty-fifth foot ; the Dutch regiment of Waes ; and a Portuguese regiment ; amounting in all to upwards of three thousand men. On their passage they fell in with the enemy's squadron under Monsieur de Pointi, but they succeeded in arriving at Gibraltar, although some of the transports had separated. These corps were safely landed on the 18th of December, and the Prince, strengthened by this rein- forcement, made a sortie on the 23rd, and destroyed the lines, that had been erected within a hundred and and sixty paces of the palisade. l^IOS The Marquis do Villadarias, having received a considerable reinforcement, evinced a disposition to storm the place, and on the 2nd of February, 1705, an attempt was made against the Hound Tower, to ascertain what might be effected by a larger force. On the 7th the enemy attacked with five hundred chosen grenadiers, French and Walloons, commanded by Lieut. - General Thouy, and supported by one thousand Spanish troops. They ascended the hill in perfect silence at daybreak, and again attempted to storm the Hound Tower, which was defended by Colonel Borr, FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 9 of the Marines, now thirty-second regiment. The as- 1705 sailants, by throwing from above great stones and gre- nades on his men, at last obliged him to retire into that part of the works where the foot guards were posted. Flushed with success, they advanced too far ; when they were gallantly charged by Colonel Moncall, of Barry- more's (thirteenth) regiment, and driven from the Round Tower. Colonel Rivett, of the Coldstream foot-guards, having got up the rock on the right of the covered-way with twenty grenadiers, favoured very much Colonel Moncall's success. The garrison by this time had assembled, and kept up so destructive a fire that the enemy was obliged to make a precipitate retreat, losing seventy mt>n killed on the spot ; upwards of two hundred wounded; and one captain, four lieutenants, and forty men taken. The loss on the part of the garrison was twenty-seven men killed, and one hundred and twenty wounded. Marshal de Tesse arrived with additional troops to carry on the siege ; the garrison also received fresh reinforcements froni Portugal, besides supplies of every description. Admiral Sir John Leake sailed from the Tagus on the 6th of March, 1705, and his arrival in the bay of Gibraltar on the 10th, was again so sudden, that he completely surprised the Baron de Pointi, together with the whole of his squadron, consisting of five ships of the line, three of which were captured, and two were driven on shore, and burnt by the enemy. After a siege of seven months the enemy retired, in April, giving up all hopes of being able to make any impression on the fortress : his efforts were then con- fined to a very feeble blockade. The fortress of Gibraltar, seated upon the territory of Spain, was thus rendered subject to the British i' i ^1 10 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. ■\ ■•}■ 1105 crown by the bravery of its Navy and Marines : its possession was subsequently secured by the defence made against the renewed efforts of the Spaniards in 1727, and by the glorious defence sustained by the troops, under General Lord Heathfield, for three years, from 1779 to 1782, when it exhibited to the nations of Europe a brilliant instance of the combined exertions of the British navy and army against the repeated, but unsuccessful, attempts of Spain and France to recover this important fortress. After the Spaniards and French had desisted from further attempts to retake Gibraltar, the Marine corps were distributed in the several ships of war which were collected in the Tagus, in order to co-operate with the land forces on the coast of Spain. Towards the end of May, the English fleet, with about five thousand land forces on board, under the joint command of Admiral Sir Cloudcsly Shovel and General the Earl of Peterborough, sailed from St. Helen's, and arrived at Lisbon on the 20th of June. King Charles went on board the Ranelagh on the 23rd of July, and the Dutch fleet having joined in the Tagus, the confederate squadron sailed on the 28th, and anchored at Gibraltar on the 11th of August. The Prince of Hesse Darmstadt, with the battalion of foot- guards, and the thirteenth and thirty-fifth regiments, embarked, and the fleet sailed for Altea Bay : form thence it again proceeded on its voyage, and anchored before Barcelona on the 22nd of August. The Earl of Peterborough commenced active opera- tions against Barcelona by an attack on the strong fortress oi Montjuich, situated on the opposite part of the town, at which the disembarkation took place, the troops having landed near the river Bassoz, about FOnMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 11 *hrec miles cast of Barcelona, on the 23rd and 24th of 1705 August. On the 28th, King Charles went ' shore, when the inhabitants of the neighbouring to.vns and villages flocked to the camp, and many took arms to act as guerilla-bands and miquelets. A difference of opinion on the part of the Dutch General occasioned some delay, but it was ultimately determined to attack the fortress of Montjuich by storm. The storming party, consisting of four hundred grenadiers, with a support of six hundred musketeers, commanded by the Earl of Peterborough and the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt, commenced their march about ten o'clock on the night of Sunday the 13th of September round the mountains, and were followed by another detachment, and a party of dragoons. After traversing many miles of rugged mountain scenery, by different tracks, the storming party appeared about break of day at the foot of the mountain. Colonel Southwell of the sixth foot, which was then acting as Marines, was ordered to head the attack, and he succeeded in driving the enemy from the outworks into the castle. Upon this success the P-rince of Hesse, advancing with great eagerness through all the fire, was shot with a musket-ball in the thigh, and upon being carried to an adjacent cottage, expired : this accident somewhat damped the spirits of the soldiers ; — at the same time a large reinforcement was seen advancing from the town to aid the garrison in the Castle, and the troops received orders from some inferior officer to retire. The Earl of Peterborough rushed to the spot, countermanded the order, seized the half-pike out of Lord Charlemont's hand, and rallied and led back the soldiers to the posts they had so nobly won. The Spaniards, who were advancing ' n 12 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. V\' ,'fV :: ,*■ : I •'.»• 1705 from the town, turned back, and the outworks of the Fortress of Montjuich were thus gained ; batteries were constructed, and the inner works were assailed with cannon-balls, bombs, and grenades. On the 17th of September the Fort surrendered, and thus facili- tated the siege of the City of Barcelona, which was prosecuted with vigour. The Admirals even relin- quished for a time their natural element, and acted on shore as General Officers ; — they came daily from their ships with a body of men formed into companies, having captains and lieutenants of their own. Cannon and mortars were dragged up steep precipices by the men ; and a breach being declared practicable, a body of soldiers prepared to attack the town : further effusion of blood was spared, however, by the surrender of th,e garrison, which capitulated on the 9th of October. The capture of Barcelona gave additional reputation to the arms of the allies, and this splendid achievement was regarded with astonishment throughout Europe. It was accompaiir^d by the submission of nearly all Catalonia; and Boyev, in his history of these wars, observes, " all the generals, admirals, officers, private " soldiers, and seamen, engaged in this memorable cx- " pedition, deserved each their share of the honour." 1706 King Charles and his counsellors, instead of exerting themselves to provide for the security of the towns which had come into their possession, and collecting the means for future conquests, spent their time and money in balls and public diversions. The breaches in Barcelona^ and the fortress of Montjuich, were left unrepaired, and the garrison unprovided for a siege. Meanwhile King Philip was obtaining reinforcements from the favourers of his cause in Portugal, Italy, Provence, Flanders, and the Rhine, and he soon ap- FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE HPS. L • poared at the head of above twenty thousand men to 1 706 recapture the provinces he had lost. A powerful French and Spanish force approached Barcelona by land ; a French fleet appeared before the town, and the garri- son, being weak in numbers, regiments were hurried from other places, one English regiment travelling one hundred and twenty miles on mules, in two days, to take part in the defence of Barcelona. The siege was commenced in the beginning of April, 1 706, when the soldiers repaired the breaches, and entered upon a resolute and desperate defence. A severe conflict took place on the 2l8t of April at Montjuich, in which Lord Donegal, of the thirty-fifth regiment, lost his life, and several prisoners were taken by the enemy ; but when the garrison was nearly exhausted, its numbers decreased by deaths, wounds, sickness, and other causes, to about a thousand efl\;ctive men, and a practicable breach was ready for the enemy to attack the place by storm, the English and Dutch fleet arrived with five regimeiits of foot ; the French fleet hurried from before the town ; and the reinforcements were landed. The French, who had prepared to storm the place on the 10th of May, relaxed in their efforts, and raised the siege on the following day, making a precipitate retreat. The important city of Barcelona being thus relieved, the fleet sailed on the I'ith of May, and landed the forces of every description on the coast of Valencia. This was preparatory to an attack on Alicant. The capture of Carthagena was in the interim effected, and a garrison of six hundred marines under Major Hedges was established for its defence. The fleet arrived off" Alicant on the 26th of June, when the Governor-General Mahoni, was summoned to !■ I 14 FORMATION AND SERVICES OP MARINE CORPS. i'; ■1 -I i- 1706 gurrondcr : a refusal being made by the garrison, con- sisting of one thousand soldiers, and many inhabitants of the town who had volunteered in its defence, the bombardment of the city was resolved upon. Brigadier Richard Gorges, who succeeded the Earl of Donegal, as colonel of the thirty-fifth regiment, then serving as marines, moved from Elcho on the 'ilst of July to within a mile of Alicant, and all the marines of the fleet, with eight hundred seamen, were landed on that day, and on the following morning : — the bom- bardment commenced on the evening of the 22nd. A detachment of the navy, under Admiral Sir George Byng, rendered very essential service by dismounting many of the enemy's guns on the coast. On the 24th of July the marines arrived from Carthagcna, and were immediately landed ; after four days the troops had gained possession of the suburbs, and all the boats were manned, and armed, in order to attack the town. On the 29th of July the ships having made a practicable breach on the Round 1 ower, at the west end of the place, and another at the middle of the curtain, the soldiers advanced to storm them. General Mahoni retired into the Castle, and was again sum- moned by Brigadier Gorges, and was at length obliged to surrender his charge on the 25th of August, after a most gallant resistance, and a heavy loss. The fleet proceeded to Iviga, where it arrived on the 9th of September : the governor immediately sainted, and tendered submission to King Charles III. It was next resolved to attack Majorca, which surren- dered on the 14th of September: a garrison of one captain, one lieutenant, and one hundred marines, was placed in this island. 1707 in June, 1707, an opportunity offered of co-operating m ' *.•" FORMAT lUN AND 8KR VICES OF MAIIINE CORPS. 15 with the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene, in an 1707 intended attack U{K)n Toulon : the fleet proceeded for the coast of Italy, where it anchored, on the 2Hth of June, between Nice and Antibes, about a league from the Var : after a conference between the commanders-in- chief, it was decided that a joint attack should be made upon a part of the enemy's army then entrenched upon that river : the positions, being evacuated by the enemy, were immediately occupied by six hundred British sea- men and marines : the passage was thus secured for the Duke of Savoy to prosecute his designs, and frigates wore stationed along different parts of the sea- coast : every aid was afforded by the fleet both as to men and cannon; but the enemy having daily augmented his forces, and having made a successful sally, the siege was raised on the 10th of August, 1707, after a loss of more than a thousand men. The French, from a sud- den dread of consequences, sunk a number of their largest ships of war, which were ever after unfit for service. King Charles having urged the reduction of Sardi- 1708 nia, with a view to open a passage for his troops in Naples to attack Sicily, as well as to secure a supply of provisions for his armies, a body of marines was with- drawn from Tarragona, a strong sea-port and garrison in Catalonia, to assist in this enterprise. On the Tith of August, 1708, the whole arrived before Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia; and on receiving an equivocal answer to the summons to surrender, the bombardment com- menced on that evening, and continued, without inter- mission, until the next morning, when at the break of day Major-General Wills (thirtieth regiment) and the whole of the marines, with one Spanish regiment, were landed. The place, in consequence, almost immediately surrendered. w 11 ■ I l^'-fl n\\ \H 16 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1708 The whole having been re-embarked, the fleet again set sail on the 18th of August, 1708, for Minorca, and arrived at Port Mahon on the 28th of that month. At this period two of the Marine regiments wore drafted, and the officers and men were incorporated into the other /our, now employed on this service : this measure had become necessary in order to supply the casualties which had occurred, and to render these corps effective. For this purpose all the marines capable of duty, were drawn from the fleet about to return home, in order to assist in the reduction of an island, which, it was expected, would make a spirited and tedious defence. The first attack was against Fort Fornede, which was cannonaded by two of the ships, and surrendered after a contest of four hours; a detachment having been pushed to Citadella the capital, it surrendered without resistance : — the batteries were opened on the works defending the town of Port Mahon on the 17th of September, when, after a short but brisk fire, and the loss of only six men, a lodgment was effected under the walls of St. Philip's Castle ; and on the next day the place surrendered. Thus was this strong fortress, and the important Island of Minorca, gained by a force of only two thousand four hundred men ; the garrison consisted of one thou- sand soldiers, with upwards of one hundred pieces of cannon mounted. Admiral Sir George Byng arrived at Lisbon on the 14th of October, from Portsmouth, having Her Majesty the Queen of Portugal on board ; but although many other objects of service were in contemplation, nothing further was attempted during the remainder of tho year 1708. On the 28th of October, 1 708, the decease of His Royal FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 17 Highness the Prince George of Denmark, Consort of 1708 Her Majesty Queen Anne, and Lord High Admiral of England, took place. In the early part of the year 1709 a plan was formed 1709 to attack Port Royal in the province of Nova Scotia, at that time in possession of the French : for this purpose a body of four hundred marines was embarked, and the expedition was entrusted to the joint conduct of Colonel Nicholson of the Marine forces, and Captain Martin of the Navy. The squadron proceeded for Boston, where they were reinforced by some ships, and provincial auxiliaries : for this intended conquest a council of war was held, and arrangements were made for the debarkation of a body consisting of two thousand five hundred men, which took place on the 24th of September. On the 1st of October the Go- vernor surrendered the fortress, and a garrison of Marines took possession. The fortress was named Anna-polis Royal, in honour of Queen Anne, in whose reign it was conquered. At this period the prospects of King Charles HI. in obtaining the monarchy of Spain, had become very gloomy and doubtful. The town of Alicant had sus- tained along and obstinate siege, against very powerful forces of Spain and France. The garrison, consisting principally of Marines, exhibited the most heroic perse- verance in maintaining the place. The fleet under Admiral Sir George Byng, and the troops on board, under the command of General Stanhope, were to have attempted its relief, and the squadron was at the same time to have attacked the enemy's lines along the sea shore; but the weather continuing severe, and heavy gales preventing communication with the town, the Commander-in-Chief deemed it necessary to i. . u ■I i >i 18 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1709 propose terms of surrender, and the remainder of the brave troops were embarked on board of the fleet, which now proceeded to Tarragona, Port Mahon, and afterwards to Barcelona. During the remainder of the year 1709, the fleets attempted nothing beyond the protecting of the convoys of provisions, where they were considered necessary, and in harassing the com- merce of the enemy. 1710 On the 13th of March, 1710, Admiral Sir John Norris arrived at Port Mahon, as Commander-in- Chief of the Naval forces. After making arrangements for disposing of the ships and troops in attacks upon the enemy, he proceeded to Barcelona on the 18th of June, in order to concert future operations with His Majesty King Charles III. An expedition was planned against the Isle of Cette in the province of Languedoc, where the troops and Marines were landed on the 13th of July. The place made a feeble resistance, and the Fort, upon which were mounted eighteen pieces of cannon, surrendered on the same day. The regiment of Stanhope, and three hundred Marines, advanced against Adge, and the town was delivered up without resistance. The Isle of Cette was shortly afterwards recovered by the French army, under the Duke of Roquetaine ; but the British troops had previously re-embarked. 1711 In the early part of the year 1711 it was resolved to make an attack on the town of Quebec, the capital of the French possessions in Canada, for which service Admiral Sir Hovenden Walker and Major-General John Hill were appointed Commanders-in-Chief: a large fleet of ships of war formed part of the arma- ment, which was to be further strengthened by troops from the American colonies; they were directed to FORMATION AND SERVICES OP MARINE CORPS. 19 proceed to Boston in New England, and to make 171 1 arrangements for this undertaking. They reached Naerlaskel near Boston on the 24th of June, and having collected the provincial corps, and withdrawn the Marines from Anna-polis Royal, which had been occupied by these corps since its surrender in 1709, they sailed for the object of their destination, after many delays, on the 30th of July. The expedition did not reach the River St. Law- rence until the 2l8t of August, when it encountered storms, and being furnished with pilots who were unacquainted with the navigat ion of that river, eight transports, a store ship, and a sloop were lost by shipwreck, and upwards of eighty persons, including officers, soldiers, and women, principally belonging to Colonel Kane's fourth regiment, and Colonel Clayton's thirty-seventh regiment, perished in this fatal service. A scarcity of provisions had arisen, and it was then de- termined by a council of war that further operations should be abandoned. Some of the corps proceeded to Anna-polis Royal, and the squadron returned to England in the month of October, 1711, after having left the provincial auxiliaries upon their own coast. On the 17th of Api*il, 171 1, the decease of Joseph I., Emperor of Germany, occurred, and Charles III., of Spain, was elected Emperor of Germany at Frank- fort, by the name of Charles IV., on the 12th October following. Further attempts on the part of the British Government, in the cause of King Charles were now unnecessary, as he was called upon to assume the Imperial throne of his country. His Majesty embarked at Barcelona, on the 27th of September, on board of the confederate fleet, and sailed for Italy. In the year 1712 negotiations were entered into by 1712 c 2 20 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. n 1713 Great Britain and France, and peace was restored by the treaty of Utrecht on the 31st of March, 1713. By this treaty it was settled, that Great Britain should retain possession of Gibraltar, Minorca, and Nova Scotia, which had been conquered during the late war, and in effecting which, the Marine corps, which had been formed during the reign of Queen Anne, greatly contributed. 1714 On the return of peace, as concluded by the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, the corps of Marines, which had been formed in the reign of Queen Anne, were ordered to be disbanded ; they were considered to be part of a war establishment, and a spirit of public economy, as well as of jealousy against a standing army, particularly in the early periods after the Revolution of 1688, afforded to the leaders of parliamentary debates, and of popular prejudices, grounds of objection to the main- taining of such corps after the termination of hos- tilities. The arrangements consequent on the general peace having been made, a great reduction in the forces took place. These arrangements had scarcely been decided, when the decease of Her Majesty Queen Anne took place on the 1st of August, 1714, and King George the First ascended the throne. Soon after His Majesty's accession, the peace of the kingdom was disturbed by the hostile designs of King Louis XV. of France, who had supported and encou- raged James Francis Edward Stuart, son of His late Majesty King James II., in his endeavours to obtain the throne of Great Britain ; but the loyalty of the people, and the courage of the troops, defeated the attempts foi the restoration of the Stuart family. King George I., being supported by the parliament. FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 21 adopted active measures for increasing his army, and 1714 resisting the plans of his enemies. Six additional regiments of cavalry, from ninth to fourteenth dragoons, were raised. The establishments of the regiments of infantry were increased, and in consideration of the gallant and extensive services of the Marine corps during the late war, Wills's, now thirtieth, Goring's, now thirty-first^ and Borr's, now thirty-second, were incorporated with the regiments of infantry of the line, and ranked according to the dates of their original formation in 1702. From the year 1714 to 1739 no corps of Marines, 1739 except four invalid companies, were kept on the esta- blishment of the army. For several years Spain had beheld with great jealousy the growing commerce and increasing naval consequence of Great Britain, particularly in the neighbourhood of her possessions 7n South America, where Spain had endeavoured to monopolize the whole commerce and wealth of Mexico and Peru ; the vessels of foreign powers were forbidden, under severe penal- ties, to approach within a certain distance of her American possessions; and to enforce this, the Ame- rican seas were filled with Spanish cruisers, whose enor- mities at length attracted the attention of the British parliament. After fruitless representations to the court of Madrid for redress, the British ministry at length determined on hostilities ; and, with the accla- mations of the nation, war was formally declared against Spain on the 23rd of October, 1 739. It was again considered necessary to form an efficient maritime force in distinct regiments, by which means the corps of the regular army could be embarked when required for continental services, and the marine regi- 22 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. a« it Zi: 1739 ments could be employed, either on board of ships of war. or at the naval stations, as might be considered best for the public service. Orders were issued for augmenting the land-forces, and also for forming six regiments of marines, each to consist of ten companies of seventy privates in each company, and to be commanded by 1st, Colonel Edward Wolfe, from 3; J Foot Guards; 2nd, Colonel W. Robinson, from Handasyd's 22nd regiment; 3rd, Colonel Andrew Lowther, from 2nd Foot Guards; 4th, Colonel John Wynyard, from Tyrrell's regiment; 5th, Colonel Charles Douglas, from Howard's regiment ; 6th, Colonel Lucius Ducie Moreton, from 3rd Foot Guards. In order to facilitate the speedy formation of these corps, and to render them eifective, five men from each company of the regiments of foot-guards were appointed Serjeants and corporals ; and further, that they might be rapidly completed, a bounty of thirty shillings per man was allowed to 1800 men who volunteered from the regiments of infantry to the marine corps: by these energies, the whole of the marine regiments were soon raised and disciplined. On the prospect of the commencement of hostilities Admiral Vernon had sailed for Jamaica, where he arrived in October, 1739, with a fleet of five ships, having 200 marines on board, and proceeded from thence to Porto Bello, the destined object of his attack, which was at that time the great mart for the wealthy commerce of Chili and Peru ; the attempt was fraught with many difficulties, but it was undertaken and performed with spirit and promptitude. On the 21st of November, 1739, the attack was com- menced by the ships, in line of battle, against the Iron Castle, a strong fort at the north point of the entrance FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 23 into the harbour. The Spaniards flying from several 1739 parts of it, an instant debarkation of the seamen and marines from on board the Burford, Norwich, and Worcester took place under cover of those ships, and the fort was carried. Upon the 22nd an attack was intended against the whole, but the enemy displayed the white flag as a signal of surrender. After destroy- ing the fortifications, which from their strength re- quired some time, the Admiral with his squadron sailed for Jamaica on the 13th of December, 1739. In the year 1740 an additional regiment, of four 1740 battalions, was authorised to be raised in America, and the royal standard was erected at New York, as the signal-post to which every volunteer marine was to repair. The field oflUcers and subalterns were ap- pointed by the King, and the captains of companies were nominated by the American provinces. Colonel Spotswood, of Virginia, was appointed colonel-com- mandant of the whole. It was supposed that, from climate, the natives of that continent were better cal- culated for the service to which they were destined, than Europeans. Their uniform was camblet coats, brown linen waistcoats, and canvas trousers. This regiment, which was afterwards commanded by Colonel Gooche, was considered as the forty-third regiment of infantry of the line. In January, 1 740, an augmentation of 340 men, and of one lieutenant in each company, was made in each of the six regiments of marines, and twenty men were add(;d to each of the four companies of invalids, and a similar number to the retired marine establishment. The utility of the corps of marines was now univer- sally admitted, and in a letter addressed to the Duke of Newcastle, then first lord of the treasury and prime 24 FORMATION AND SERVICES OP MARINE CORPS. 1140 minister, by Admiral Vernon, previously to his sailing with an expedition to the West Indies, he thus ex- pressed himself on the subject of marine soldiers: — •* I could wish that "Ave " (alluding to ships of war) " had each a company of regular troops on board, " whica would strengthen us in numbers, and their " expertness in handling their arms would incite our " seamen to the imitation of them. If we should come " to a general war with France as well as Spain, I be- " lieve your Grace will have already perceived, from " the difficulty of manning our ships, the necessity of " converting most of our marching regiments into " marines. " I have always looked upon our fleet as what must " not only protect our trade, but secure to us the " blessings of a Protestant succession, being strongly " convinced in my own judgment, that preserving a " superiority at sea is the best security of His Majes- " ty's government, as well as the trade and prosperity " of this kingdom." The sentiments expressed by Admiral Vernon, in favour of the marines, were drawn from the acknow- ledged usefulness of the corps so employed in the naval expeditions during the reign of Queen Anne. In the year 17^0 four additional regiments of marines were raised, viz. : — 7th, Colonel W. Cornwall ; 8th, Colonel W. Uanmorc ; 9th, Colonel C. Powlett; 10th, Colonel J. Jeffreys. Each regiment consisted of ten companies of 100 men in each company, which, with officers included, amounted to 1155 in each regiment. The six regi- ments raised in 1739 were increased to the same num- bers of officers and men. FOnMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 25 In February, 1740, the town of Carthagena, the 1740 capital of an extensive and wealthy province in Terra Firma in South America, was bombarded, and an attack was made upon Chagrc, a fort situate upon the mouth of a river of that name a little to the north- west of the Gulf of Darien. The latter surrendered, after a sharp contest, on the 24th of March, when the castle, situated on a rock, and the custom-house under its protection, were demolished and burnt. These were all that could be performed until the arrival of reinforcements and supplies from England. The fleet afterwards returned to Porto Bello, and from thence to Jamaica. Considerable exertions were made in England during the year 1740 with the view of attacking, more effectu- ally, the Spanish possessions in South America. A large number of ships of war was assembled at Spithead under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, and a land-force, consisting of Harri- son's (15th) regiment, Wentworth's (24th) regiment, and part of Cavendish's (34th) regiment, was collected in the Isle of Wight, and held in readiness, with the six regiments of marines, to be embarked for service under the orders of General Lord Cathcart, a nobleman of approved courage and experience in war. The fleet, with the British armament, consisting of one hundred and seventy ships, sailed from St. Helen's in October, 1 740 ; but being overtaken by a tempest in the Bay of Biscay, it was dispersed. The greater part of the vessels, being re-collected, the Admiral prosecuted his voyage, and anchored at the neutral island of Dominica, in order to obtain a supply of wood and water. Unfortunately for the service. General Lord Cath- :, -%■ 26 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1740 cart fell an early victim to the disease of the climate, and the command of the expedition devolved upon Brigadier- General Thomas Wentworth, of the 24th regiment. The sixth regiment of foot, under the command of Colonel John Guise, who was appointed brigadier- general, was subsequently ordered to proceed to the West Indies to reinforce the troops employed in this enterprise. 1741 The fleet, under the charge of Rear- Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, arrived at Jamaica in January, 1741, and joined the force under Vice-Admiral Vernon, who was thus placed at the head of the most formidable fleet and army which were ever employed in those seas. The conjoined squadrons consisted of twenty-nine ships of the line, with nearly an equal number of frigates, fire- ships, and bomb-ketches, well manned, and plentifully supplied with provisions, stores, and necessaries. The number of seamen amounted to 15,000; that of the land-forces, including the American regiment of four battalions (Colonel Spotswood's) and a body of negroes enlisted at Jamaica, did not fall short of 12,000. The whole force sailed from Irish Bay in Hispaniola, and anchored on the evening of the 4th of March in the Grande Playa, to windward of the town of Carthagena, the intended object of the attack. The necessary arrangements having been made, the fleet moved forward in two divisions on the 8th of March, in order to silence the different forts, prepara- tory to the landing of the troops. After about one hour's cannonade, the forts of St. Jago and St. Philip were deserted by the enemy, and were taken possession of by the troops; and by the 1.5th all the soldiers, with their tents, tools, artillery, and stores. FOUMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 27 were landed, the ground cleared, and an encampment 1741 formed. The reduction of the Castle of Bocca Chica next took place, which, on a practicable breach being made, it was determined to storm ; but, in consequence of a well- judged diversion of the navy, the Spaniards retired without firing a shot, and when the grenadiers advanced to storm at the hour appointed, they met no resistance. A panic had seized the enemy, who set fire to one of their ships; taking advantage of this state, the boats resolved to attempt the fort of St. Joseph, which was immediately evacuated. The Spaniards appearing to be determined to sink their vessels, the British crews proceeded to board the ship Galicia, which carried the flag of the Spanish Admiral. After various services the castle of Grande Castello was gained, and the enemy had sunk all their ships of war; preparations were made for landing the troops near the town, in order to cut off all communication with the main land. Two channels having been made through the sunk vessels, with which the Spaniards had blocked up the entrance of the harbour, the troops and artillery were re-embarked, and commenced landing on the 5th of April near the city ; and, after a spirited contest, the British bivouacked within a mile of the castle of St. Lazar, which commanded the town. The men passed three nights in the open air for want of tents and tools, which could not be landed sooner, and the health of the troops became seriously injured. As affairs were now drawing to extremities, and the men were fast diminishing in numbers from hard duty and the effects of climate. Brigadier- General Went- worth resolved to attack St. Lazar by escalade, it 28 FORMATION AND SERVICES OP MARINE CORPS. 1741 being judged necessary to forego the ceremonies of u regular siege, and, however hazardous, to rest the issue upon a storm. Accordingly before daybreak on the 9th of April, a force under the command of Brigadier-General Guise, of the sixth foot, consisting of five hundred grenadiers, supported by a thousand Marines, and some American and Jamaican levies, advanced against the enemy's lines in front of the fort; these were followed by a body of Americans, with woolpacks, scaling-ladders and hand-grenades. The grenadiers, led by Colonel Grant, of the fifth Marines, rushed forward with astonishing bravery, and, leaping into the entrenchments, carried the works in gallant style, driving the Spaniards into the fort over a drawbridge which communicated with the lines. Colonel Grant fell mortally wounded, and the troops, after sustaining a most destructive fire for several hours with intrepidity and perseverance, were ordered to retreat, having lost many officers, and 600 men in killed and wounded. This repulse was succeeded by the violent periodical rains ; the country was deluged with water ; and the change of atvnosphere, which is always attended with epidemical diseases, produced the most fatal effects. The troops were so drenched with rain, and their health so seriously impaired, that all hope of further success vanished; they were accordingly re-embarked, and the forts and castle of the harbour of Carthagena having been demolished, the fleet sailed for Jamaica on the fith (»f May, where it arrived on the 9tb of that month. After re-embarking, t^ distempers, peculiar to the climate, produced numi jus casualties among the troops. Thus terminated, for the time, the expedition to FORMATION AND 8EIIVICE3 OF MARINR CORPS. 29 Spanish South America, during which the persevering 1741 and undaunted bravery of British Seamen, Soldiers, and Marines, and their patient endurance under the most trying difficulties, were never displayed in a greater degree. In consequence of the heavy losses sustained at Carthagena, and the mortality which continued to prevail after the troops returned to Jamaica, it was not until the beginning of July, 1741, that the fleet and army were in a condition to renew their operations. It was then resolved to proceed against the Island of Cuhuy where they anchored on the 18th of July in ^^'altenham Bay, about eighteen leagues to windward of St. JagOy the first object of their intended attack. The troops were landed on the 24th, consisting of nearly 4,000 men, including 1000, negroes raised by the Island of Jamaica, with a view to sustain the peculiar duties of fatigue, naturally expected to arise on this service. After establishing a position on the side of the river, nearly three leagues from the mouth of the harbour, the ( loneral pushed some detachments into the country, which beat back the outposts of the enemy, and in a few days returned to the camp with plentiful supplies of provisions. It was originally intended by the Commanders-in- Chief to have made a joint attack upon St. Jago^ but the want of unanimity ruined every purpose, and con- tentious debates and dilatory n; asures, instead of cordial co-operation and daring entirprise, took place ; while the interests of the country, and the lives of the troops, were sacrificed to the prejudices and bad judgment of the officers entrusted with so important a command. After an interval of several months, during which l! 30 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE C0RP8. 1741 nothing was attempted towards effecting the conquest of the island, and when sickness, the never-failing result of inactivity, particularly in those climes, began its ravages, it was determined to evacuate the island, which took place on the 20th of November, 1741, when the regimental Returns were as follow : — Regiment. 15th regiment 24th regiment Ist Battalion 2nd ,, 3rd ,, 4th ,. 1st Marines (aft"^, 44th Rt.) 45th Rt.) 46th Rt.) 47th Rt.) 48th Rt.) 49th Rt.) 43rd regiment American Marines 2nd do 3rJ do. 4th do. 5th do. 6th do. Sick in all Total . . Colonels. Harrison . . . Wentworth Spotswood's, after- wards Gooche's, Marines Wolfe . Fraser . Lowther Wynyard Cochrane Cotterell SerjesnU, Drum. men, and Hank and Kilu. 225 210 l&f) no 99 121 181 158 237 177 191 211 2088 566 2654 The total loss of officers at the close of 1741 amounted to one Commander-in-Chief, five colonels, ten lieut,- colonels, seven majors, fifty-five captains, one hundred and sixteen subalterns, and fourteen staff oflScers, The heavy casualties in the Marine regiments are shown when it is stated that these six regiments consisted of more than one thousand men each, and that only 2654 men returned. The foregoing statement affords a sad record of the ill-judged plans relating to the expedition to South America, both as to the season of the year at which it was undertaken, and the deficiency of means and arrangements with which it was attempted to be carried into execution. Great disappointment and dissatisfac- FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 31 tion were consequently created in the feelings of the 1141 British public. The transports returned to Jamaica on the 29th of November, 1741, and the squadron continued at sea to meet the reinforcements which were anxiously expected from England. In January 1742, nearly 3000 men, including 2000 1742 Marines, arrived at Jamaica. Another expedition was now meditated, which put to sea early in March ; but adverse winds, the separation of the transports having on board the working negroes, and the ex- pectation of the periodical rains being then about to set in, suggested to a Council of War, held at Porto Bello, at the close of that month, the immediate return of the whole armament to the port they had left : the fleet arrived at Jamaica upon the loth of May. It was now considered desirable to detach a force to take possession of Rattan, an island in the Bay of Honduras, and a situation proper for maintaining a commercial intercourse with South America, as well as the trade in logwood. An establishment having been formed there in the early part of the year, it was determined in a Council of War to send a force of 50 marines and 200 Americans, under Major Caul- field, in order to place the island in a state of military defence. On the 2oi'd of August the troops reached Port Roijal, on the south side of the island, where they formed a camp and erected i^or^ Georgeio defend the harbour, as well as Fort Frederick on the western part of it. A proportion of the Americans, who were papists, formed a plot to render the settlement abortive, and to rise upon the Marines. Her Majesty's ship, the Litchfield, then in the harbour, hearing the alarm- guns, instantly landed her party of Marines, who. 32 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1742 with those on shore, soon checked the daring mutiny, secured the delinquents, and preserved the settlement to the British Crown. At this period it was necessary to detach 500 men to the assistance of General Oglethorpe, in South Caro- lina, and to repel the menaces of the Spaniards against the infant colony of Georgia.* On the 23rd of September orders arrived at Jamaica for the recal of Admiral Vernon and of General Wentworth; for providing the fleet with a number of men from the Marines, sufficient to supply its wants ; and also to fill up the vacancies in the eight Independent Companies raised for the defence of Jamaica (now the 49th Regiment): — These services absorbed all the men who were considered fit for duty, and the remainder were embarked for Eng- land. After the departure of Admiral Vernon, the Naval Command devolved on Sir Chaloner Ogle, who bore his testimony to the zeal and bravery of the troops, whose gallant efforts and patient endurance, under great privations, had been conspicuous throughout a series of misfortunes. Upwards of 7000 Marines and nearly 4000 other troops were the lamentable victims to pestilence and disease, but not to defeat ; and the objects which had been effected, although not adequate to the hopes and expectations of the Britisii Nation, * In 1732 trustees were appointed by charter to superintend a new settlement in Geonjia, situated to the southward of Carolina in America, and Mr. James Oglethorpe, General and Governor of the Province, embarked at Gravesend with a number of poor families to plant that Colony. In 1737, when the King of Spain claimed as part of his terri- tories, the Colony of Georgia, which was considered to belong to Great Britain, General Oglethorpe was authorised to raise a regiment of six com- panies of 100 men each, for the defence of the settlement. The colonies of Georgia and Carolina had been named from King George II., and his consort Queen Caroline. FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 33 were distressing to the enemy, and embarrassing to 1142 the Spanish Government. In the early part of 1743 it was resolved to make 1743 another attempt upon the continent of South America, and the conduct of the operations was entrusted to Captain Knowles, of the Navy, who had on board of his squadron 400 of DalzelVs (thirty-eighth) regiment and about six hundred Marines. They were first ordered to rendezvous at Antigua, from which island they sailed on the 12th of February with a view to an attack upon La Guira, a town in the district of the Caraccas in Terra Firma. The attack was commenced on the 18th, but, owing to a heavy swell, the ships could not approach the shore, and the troops were con- sequently not landed. After a heavy cannonade, which was ended only by the night, the ships withdrew from the combat : the town suffered extremely, many breaches being made in the fortifications; and the enemy sustained a loss of more than 700 men. The British squadron suffered considerable damage, and had nearly 400 men killed and wounded. The fleet proceeded to Curaqoa to refit, where pre- parations were made for another attempt upon the sea-coast of Terra Firma. Having been reinforced by some Dutch volunteers. Commodore Knowles sailed from this island on the 20th of March, and steered for Porto Cavallo, a town having a respectable force, and being in a good state of defence. On the 15th of April the ships anchored to the east- ward of the town, and on the 16th two vessels com- menced a flanking fire against Ponta Brava ; and after the batteries were silenced, it wks decided to land the troops in order to take possession, and to turn the guns against the castle, their retreat being secured by a D 34 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1743 ship of w r within pistol-shot, of the shore : by sunset the ships had accomplished their object, and by dusk a force of I'^OO sailors, soldiers, and Dutch volunteers, was disemb^-rked under the command of Major Lucas. About eleven at night the van had gained one of the fascine batteries upon Ponta Brava, but the garrison having been alarmed, and bei..^ prepared for resistance; this mixed detachment acted under the influence of a panic, and retreated with precipitation to the ships. On the 21st it was resolved to make another attack of the squadron and forces against the castle and fascine batteries : four ships were destined to batter the former on the 24th, while three others were placed against the latter. The cannonading began at eleven on the noon of that day, and was maintained with mutual obstinacy till night, when, some of the ships having expended their ammunition, and others being damaged, they were ordered to anchor beyond reach of the enemy's shot. This attack being fruitless, and the troops being prevented from landing, it was deemed impracticable to push the enterprise any further : it was accordingly resolved on the 28th of April to return to Jamaica. From the period of the commencement of hostilities against Spain in 1739, the conduct of the Court of Versailles had been equivocal, and in the beginning of the year 1743 the projects of Louis XV. were developed by tb equipment of powerful naval arma- ments in the ports of France, and by the assembling of armies on the sea-coasts, the avowed aim of which was against the Crown and liberties of the British Empire. Being no longer able to restrain her views, France FORMATION AND SERVICES OP MARINE CORPS. 35 declared war on the 20th of March, 1743, which was 1748 answered by a proclamation on the part of Great Britain on the 31st of that month. A force of 11,550 Marines was granted by Parlia- 1144 ment as a part of tiie establishment for the year 1 744, at which period fleets were detached to every quarter of the globe. A partial affair occurred in the Mediter- ranean in May of this year, in which a party of Marines disembarked from the Essex ship of war, and signalized themselves: that ship being on a cruise gained sight of twenty-six xebeques and settees, bound to Antibes, from whence they were to carry troops to Italy : the former were a convoy to the latter, which were laden with powder, cannon, ordnance stores, and provisions . thirteen having taken refuge in the Creek of Casse, the Marines were landed in order to co-operate « ith the boats, and to repel any enemy that might appear to retard their progress: they were attacked by a body of Spaniards, whom they beat back, and thus effected the object on which they were employed : eleven vessels were burnt and two cap- tured. The most active measures were adopted, by order of the Secretary at War, for again completing the ten regiments of Marines, in order to render them effective as speedily as possible. Attacks having been made during the last year by l745 the French upon Caiiso and Anna-polis in Nova Scotia^ the former of which they burnt, the Northern Colonies of British America became alarmed for their safety : an expedition was consequently commenced against Louisburg ; considerable levies were raised in the American provinces, and a co-operating naval force, under Commodore Warren, then commanding on the d2 - 36 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1745 West India station, was ordered to repair to Canso ; the arrangements made for conducting this expedition were carried into effect with that confidence and secrecy which are always essential towards securing the success of a military enterprise, and the exertions of the Americans were fully equal to the important interests which they Iiad at stake. On the 4th of April the levies from New L ngland, having reached Canso, were encamped and brought into military order and discipline preparatory to the arrival of other corps from the several provinces, while the ships of war upon the coast, and some stout privateers, continued off the harbour of Louisburg, in order to cut off all intelligence of the projected enter- prise. On the 23rd of April Commodore Warren arrived at Canso, and by the 29th all the land-forces were embarked, and proceeded to Gaharas Bay, about four miles from the capital of Cape Breton. On the 30th of April 2000 men were landed at noon, who beat back a detachment of troops which was sent to prevent their disembarkation. On that and the following day three hundred seamen and Jive hundred Marines were disembarked under cover of the vessels ranged along the coast. The troops were under the command of Brigadier-General William Pepperell, a native of Piccataway, and Colonel of American Militia. The French, conscious of the strength of their positions, maintained possession of the city until their means of defence were overpowered by the forces brought against them. By indefatigable labour, the British Marines, and the American provincials, succeeded in effecting an entrance into the harbour on the 1st of June, 1745; Louisburg capitulated, and with it the whole depend- FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 37 ency of Cape Breton ; the object was attained with a 1745 loss little exceeding 100 men.* Two regiments were formed for service at Cape Breton, by Colonel William Shirley and Sir William Pepperell, each consisting of ten companies of 100 men per company : these were numbered the 50th and 51st regiments of infantry of the line. In the year 1746 very serious complaints were 1745 made of the neglect and delay which had occurred in the settlement of the accounts of the Marine Corps, and a committee was appointed to investigate the grievances which had been represented. The cause of the delay was alleged to arise, in the first instance, from the absence of regular and periodical muster- rolls, according to the practice in regiments of the regular army. This system, it was stated, could not easily be acted upon in the corps of Marines, who were employed by detachments in the several ships of war. The investigation produced, however, the effect of a large balance in the hands of the Pay- master-General being repaid into the Bank of England, for the benefit of those who were justly entitled to it. The privations and inconveniences, which this meri- torious body of troops had continued to endure for several years, did not affect their loyalty and steady allegiance, and they still remained the useful corps, in periods of emergency, they had always proved in former years. For the service of this year (1746) nearly 12,000 Marines were included in the parliamentary vote of the military establishment. An expedition against ■u., * Cape Breton was restored to the French after the peace of Aix- la-Chapetle in 1748. It was retaken in 1758 by Admiral Boscawen and General Sir JefFery Amherst, and finally ceded to Great Britain at the peace of 1763. ill FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1746 Quebec was contemplated at this period, and a consider- able force was assembled at Spithead with that intent, but delays took place until the season for such an at- tempt became too late. Of this force Colonel Powlett's (the ninth) regiment of Marines formed a part. The troops were afterwards destined against Port V Orient, under the directions of Admiral Lestock and Lieut.-General Sinclair. Sixteen sail of the line and eight frigates, with 5000 troops, exclusive of Marines, were the number employed on this occasion. The long detention of so respectable a force until the period of the equinox, endangered its progress along a hostile coast at so critical a season, and gave time for the enemy to ascertain the object of the expedition. The fleet sailed from Plymouth on the 14th of September for the coast of Brittany, and a debark- ation of the troops was effected on the 20th of that month, in Quimperlay Bay: on the 21st the troops advanced in two columns against Plymeur, which surrendered, and on the following day the whole moved on to a rising ground within a mile of Port V Orient, the ultimate object of their views. Some aifairs took place between the 21st and 26th of Sep- tember, when after a cannonade, wh''-' did con- siderable damage to the town, a retreat was com- menced under cover of the night. The French were pouring in from all quarters, and the situation of the British troops became critical. After a loss of 150 men killed, wounded, and missing, a re-embarkation was effected, and the fleet sailed on the 1st of October for the Bay of Borneuff", off Quiberon, to the south of Quimperlay : a detach- ment of Marines was entrenched at Quimperlay to guard the landing-place ; the remainder, under Colonel Holmes, was united with the army : some troops were FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CROPS. 39 landed on the 4th of October on the peninsula of 1746 Quiberon, and, after remaining ashore some days, the whole returned to England. The number of Marines for the year 1747 was 1747 eleven thousand one hundred and fifty, as included in the parliamentary vote of that year. On the 28th of February, 1747, His Majesty King George II. directed, that the several regiments of Marines, which were then existing, or might hereafter be raised, should be placed under the entire command of the Lords Commissioners for executing the office of High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland. The following Royal Warrant was issued on this subject : — " To Our Commissioners for executing the office of High " Admiral of Our Kingdom of Great Britain and " Ireland ; and to Our Commissioners for executing " the office of our High Admiral for the time being.** (Copy) " Whereas We have thought it necessary for the " good of Our Service to put under your immediate " and entire command all our Marine regiments now " raised, or hereafter to be raised ; Our Will and " Pleasure therefore is, that you do take upon you " the immediate and entire command of the said " Marine forces accordingly ; and for the better go- ** vernment of our said Marine regiments, we have " thought fit to em])ower and authorise you to prepare " and publish such rules and ordinances as are fit to " be observed by our said Marine forces under your " command, hereby strictly charging and requiring the " several colonels and other officers, who shall from time " to time be employed in the said regiments, to take " notice thereof, and in all respects to conform them- " selves to such directions accordingly, and to cause " exact musters to be taken of them, as well at sea as " on shore, and that the same be transmitted to our 40 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1747 « (( « « n Commissary-General of Marines, in order to the more speedy clearing of the accounts of our said Marine regiments. And whereas, by the establishment, provision is made for such contingent charges as may arise in this service, and to the use of our said forces, you are hereby further authorized to direct the payment of the said money, in such proportions as you shall, in your discretion, think necessary, for the purpose aforesaid. " And for executing the several powers and autho- rities herein expressed this shall be your warrant. And so we bid you heartily farewell. " Given at our Court at St. James's, this 28th " February, 1746-7, in the 20th year of " our reign. •' By His Majesty's Command. (Signed) " Chesterfield." Notwithstanding the disasters which had attended the expeditions of the French in North America in the preceding year (1746), when Louis XV. had equipped an extensive armament, under the command of the Duke d'Anville for the recapture of Cape Breton, which was rendered ineffectual by storms and other casualties, and by the death of its commander, the French Monarch was not discouraged by these dis- asters ; but was resolved to renew his efforts against the British colonies in North America, and also the settlements in the East Indies. For these purposes two squadrons were prepared at Brest, one commanded by Commodore de la Jonquiere, and the other, destined for India, by Monsieur de St. George. Intelligence had been received by the British Go- vernment of these preparations, and measures were adopted in order to counteract the views of the enemy. The occasion afforded a renewed display of the zeal and intrepidity of Vice- Admiral Anson and Rear= FORMATION AMD SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 41 Admiral Warren, who sailed from Plymouth on the 1747 9th of April, in order to intercept both squadrons, which were to set sail together. The Vice-Admiral, on board of the " Prince George " of ninety guns, with the Hear- Admiral, onboard the " Devonshire," and twelve ships more under his command, received directions to cruize between Ushant and Cape Finisterre on the coast of Galicia. On the 3rd of May, 1747, they fell in with the French squadrons, consisting of six large ships of war, as many frigates, and four armed vessels equipped by the French East India Company, having under their convoy about thirty ships laden with merchandize : those prepared for war immediately shortened sail, and formed in line of battle, while the rest, under the protection of the six frigates, proceeded on their voyage with all the sail they could carry. The British squadron was likewise drawn up in line of battle, and the engagement began with great fury about four o'clock in the afternoon. The enemy's ships sustained the battle with equal conduct and valour, until they were overpowered by numbers, and they then struck their colours. About seven hundred of the French were killed and wounded in this action ; the English lost about five hundred ; and among them Captain Grenville, Commander of the ship " Defiance," nephew to Lord Viscount Cobham, an officer of the most promising genius, and animated with the noblest sentiments of honour and patriotism . Two of these prizes were the "Invincible" and the '■ Glory" which induced the Captain of the former to say to the Admiral, on giving up his sword, " Sir, you have con- quered the Invincible, and Glory follows you." This blow was severely felt by France, who had vainly flat- tered herself, that by means of this armament she should 4'2 FORMATION AND SERVICES OP MARINE CORPS. 1747 render herself mistress of the Indian seas, and by that superiority bo enabled to wrest from the British their most valuable possessions in that part of the world. A considerable quantity of money, intended to answer the contingencies of these expeditions, was found on board of the French ships, which were brought to Spithead, and the treasure, being landed, was conveyed in twenty waggons to the Bank of England, escorted by a party of Marines, amidst the acclamations of the populace. For this achievement Vice- Admiral George Anson was created a Peer of Great Britain, and Rear- Admiral Peter Warren was invested with the Order of the Bath. The whole fleet received the thanks of the Sovereign, through their Commander, Admiral Lord Anson. The year 1747 was remarkable for other naval suc- cesses ; about the middle of June, Commodore Fox, with six ships of war, cruizing in the latitude of Cape Ortegal, in Galicia, took about forty French ships, richly laden from St. Domingo, after they had been abandoned by their convoy. The fourteenth of October, 1747, was rendered memorable as another day of triumph for the British Navy. Rear-Admiral Edward Hawkb sailed from Plymouth in the beginning of August, with fourteen ships of the line, with instructions to intercept a fleet of French merchant-ships bound for the West Indies: the British fleet cruized for some time on the coast of Bretagne, and the French ships sailed from the Isle of Aix under convoy of nine ships of the line, besides frigates, commanded by M. de I'Etendiere. The two squadrons came in sight of each other in the latitude of Belle Isle. The battle commenced about eleven in the forenoon, and lasted FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 43 until night, when all the French squadron, except two 1747 ship<), the " Intrepido " and " Tonnant," which escaped in the dark, had struck to the English flag. After despatching a sloop to Commodore Legge, command* ing a squadron in the Leeward Islands, to take proper measures to intercept the l*'rench ships in the passage to Martinique, and other French islands, Admikal Hawks conducted his prizes to Spithcad, and was rewarded with the Order of the Bath ; and the thanks of a grateful country were rendered to all the officers, seamen, and Marines of the r luadron. In the latter part of 174/, Admiral Boscawen had sailed from England with a fleet of shipe, and a number of Marines, and other forces, -i order to reinforce the British fleet in the East Indies, with instru 'ions to make an attack upon the Island of Mauritiv i, and sub- sequently to effect the conquest of i\ ndicherry, whirh was the chief object of the expediti n. After having reconnoitred the coast of the Mauritius, it was ascertained that the powerful means of de- fence everywhere presented, and the dangers in many places of approaching the land, would involve a great sacrifice of men, and render success ultimately doubt- ful ; the coming on of the autumnal monsoons had also an influence in the decision of a council, which was to relinquish the attempt, and to proceed without delay for the Coast cf ( -romandel, according to the prescribed plan of operations. About the end of June, 1748, the Admiral quitted 1748 the Coasts of the Mauritius, and proceeded to Fort St. David, where the troops were landed, and encamped with all the necessary stores ; the Marines from four ships sent to Europe under Admiral Griffin, were added to the battalion employed on this service. The '11 a FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. V. 1748 forces employed amounted to six thousand British and Native Auxiliary troops, and upwards of one thousand sailors, trained to the use of small arms, who were to form the besieging army. The batter- ing cannon, mortars, and every implement were con* veyed by the squadron within two miles of the town, while the land forces marched on the 8th of August towards Pondicherry^ about thirty miles distant. After eeveral unsuccessful attempts, the troops crossed the river of Arian Coupan, and obtained pos- session of a strong situation within a mile of that Fort ; a communication was maintained from thence with the fleet ; and all the implements necessary for the siege were landed. On the 25th of September the batteries were com- pleted, and began to play ; but, notwithstanding a combined cannonade on the part of the squadron against the town, it was found that the enemy's fire gained an ascendency over the besiegers. The fatigues endured by the troops, sickness becomiiig prevalent, and the rainy season being daily expected, which would inun- date the country, and render retreat impracticable, afforded strong grounds, on which a Council of War, held on the 30th of September, determined to abandon the siege, to re-embark the men and stores, and to destroy the batteries. The troops fortunately reached Fort St. David on the evening of the 7th of October, after having demolished the fort of Arian Coupan on their way ; the heavy rains whicl fell on the same evening had nearly rendered the rivers impassable. On the 13th of February, 1748, the British squadron in the West Indies sailed from Jamaica under the command of Rear- Admiral Knowles, on an expedition against St. Jago, in Cuba, for which purpose some FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 45 land-forces were embarked at Jamaica, and being joined 1748 with the Marines of the squadron, the whole put to sea ; but after persevering for some time against strong northerly winds, which prevented their approaching that coast, the design was given up, and the force was directed against Port Louis, on the south side of His- paniola, before which place it arrived on the 8th of March. The service was performed by the siv!ps in line of battle, which, after three hours' heavy can- nonade, compelled the governor, M. de Chaleaunoye, to surrender, when Major Scott, with a detachment of Colonel Trelawny's, the forty-ninth regiment, and the Marines, were landed, and took possession of the Fort in the name of His Majesty. After having shipped or destroyed upwards of eighty heavy cannon, and blown up the works, the whole were re-embarked ; and Rear-Admiral Knowles resumed his former design against St. Jago, where he arrived on the 5th of April. The Plymouth and Cornwall were ordered to enter the harbour, but after firing a few broadsides at the castle, it was considered prudent to desist, and the squadron returned to Jamaica. The distresses of France arising from the destruction of her Navy, and the annihilation of her commerce, compelled King Louis XV. to express a desire for peace. Accordingly, a congress was held at Aix-la^ Chapelle, in order to negotiate the terms on which peace could be restored. The desire expressed by the King of France, as well as of Spain, did not, however, induce the British Government to relax in its efforts to reduce the means which those powers never failed to use, when opportunities offered, of thwarting the measures of Great Britain. The negotiations, commenced at Aix-la-Chapelle in June, 1748, produced a Definitive Treaty of Peace, 46 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARIf'E CORPS. 1748 which was concluded on the 18th of October of that year, and was proclaimed on the 2nd of February, 1749. Among the many reductions which took place during 1748, consequent on the General Peace, the Ten regi- ments of Marines were disbanded in November of that year, the officers of which were placed on half-pay. 1755 The conditions of the Peace concluded with France in 1 748, were broken as soon as that Power had reco- vered from the effects of the former war : the interval of six years had been devoted to extending her Naval preparations, and to negotiations with other States, in order to reduce, or destroy, the power of Great Britain. After enduring many insults, and witnessing the hostile measures which were preparing in the ports of France, the energies of the British nation were again aroused, and in the spring of 1755 considerable augmentations were made in the Army and Navy, and fifty companies of Marines were directed to be raised and placed under the control of the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty. These companies were formed into three Li virions, and stationed at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth, and an Act of Parliament was passed for the " Regulation of the Marine forces while on shore."* From the 5th of April, 1755, the Marine corps have constituted a branch of the permanent national force, and have been provided for in the annual votes of the House of Commons, on distinct estimates produced at each session, of the Navy, Army, and Marines. War was declared against France on the 1 8th May in the following year (1756). * A Fourth Division was added to the Establishment of the Royal Marines, by Order in Council dated 15th August, 1805, and stationed at Woolwich. FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 47 The foregoing pages contain accounts of the services 1755 of the Corps of Marines from the earliest period of their formation, to the year 1748, when they ceased to form a portion of the establishment of the Army. These historical details afford numerous instancer in which the gallant exertions of the Marines ha/e materially contributed to the successes obtained by the Navy and Army, and to the honours and advantages which have resulted from their combined operations. The services of the present Marine forces have been, as in former years, highly useful and efficient, and by their uniformly good conduct they have ob- tained the approbation of the Sovereign, and the confidence of the Country. As a lasting mark of approbation. His Majesty King 1802 George III. was pleased, in 1802, to direct that they should be styled " The Royal Marines," as announced in the following Order, issued by the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty, and inserted in the London Gazette, dated " Admiralty Office, 2*dth April, 1802. " His Majesty has been graciously pleased to signify " His Commands, that, in consideration of the very me- " ritorious services of the Marines during the late War, " the Corps shall in future be styled ' The Royal "'Marines.' " By Command of their Lordships. (Signed) " Evan Nepean." On acquiring the title of Royal, the facings of the Marines, which had been White, were changed to Blue^ as in other Royal corps of Infantry.* * The Laurel was authorised to be borne as a testimony of the gallantry of the Marines at the siege of Belle-Isle in the year 1761, and is encircled about the figure of the Globe ou the Colours. 48 FORMATION AND SERVICES OF MARINE CORPS. 1827 On the 26th of September, 1827, New Colours w re presented to the Division of Royal Marines at Chat- ham, on the part of His Majesty King George IV., by His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, then Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, and General of Marines, afterwards King William IV. After alluding to the service^, of Marine regiments from the pei'iod of their formation to the present time. His Royal Highness caused the New Colours to be unfurled, and concluded his address in the following terms : " His Majesty has selected for the Royal Marines a " Device, to which their achievements have entitled " them, and which, by his permission, I this day pre- " sent to you ; — a Badge which you have so hardly " and honorably earned : — From the difficulty of " selecting any particular places to inscribe on these " Standards, your Sovereign has been pleased to adopt '• ' The Great Globe itself^ as the most proper and " distinctive badge. He has also directed, that " his own name {George IV.) shall be added to that " peculiar badge, Thk Anchor, which is your distinctive V bearing, in order that it may be known hereafter, " that George the Fourth had conferred on you the " honorable and well-earned badge this day presented " to you. *' The motto, peculiarly your own, 'Per Mare; Per " Terram,^ has been alluwid to remain ; and surmount- " ing the entire is the word Gibraltar, in comme- " moration of the important national services you pcr- " formed there. In presenting these Colours, the gift •' of your Sovereign, into yOur hands, I trust, — I am " confident, — you will defend ^,hem with the same in- " trepidity, loyalty, and regard for the interests of the " country, that have marked your preservation of your " old ones ; and if you do, your Sovereign, and your *' Country, will have equal reason to be satisfied." ( 49 ) APPENDIX TO THE MARINE CORPS. The following memoranda are appended to this narrative of the services of the Royal Marines, in order to show the rela- tive positions in which the Marine regiments were placed, in respect to rank and precedence y with the regiments of Infantry, during the period the Marine regiments were borne on the establishment of the regular army, and the ground on which the present corps of Koyal Mr.rines liave been authorised, when acting with the infantry of the line, to take their sta- tion next to \\\e Forty-ninth regiment, according to the date of their formation in the year 1755, as shown in the following pages. The rank of the several regiments of the British army was first regulated by a Board of General Officers assembled in the Netherlands, by command of King William III., on the 10th June, 1694. Another Board of General Officers was assembled by order of Queen Anne, in 1713, to decide on the rank and preceucnce of regiments raised subsequently to 1694. A third Board was assembled, by command of King George I., in 1715, for the same purpose. Tliese Boards recommended that English regiments raised in England, shoidd take rank from the dates of their forma- tion, and that English, Scots, and Irish regiments, raised for the service of a foreign power, should take rank from the dates of their being placed on the English establishment. Tlie Numerical Titles of regiments, as fixed on the prin- ciple laid down in the reports of the Boards of General Oiilcers, above alluded to, were confirmed by the warrant issued by authority of King George II., dated 1st July, 1751, — and also by the warrant of King George III., dated 19th Decembf^i , i768, previously to which periods regiments were generally designated by tl>3 names of their Colonels. 1. Tlie principle on which the Numerical Titles of regi^ ments were fixed, having been tlius establislieo by Royali authority, the regiments of inflmtry wliicli had been formed E t« Um 50 APPENDIX TO THE MARINE CORPS. by King Charles TI., on his Restoration to the Throne in 1660, and those which had been subsequently raised in the reigns of King -Tames II. and of William III., were numbered accord- ing to the dates of being placed on the E;igiish establishment, — from the first, or Royal, regiiDP'^st to tatj Twenty-seventh regiment. 2. The regiments of infantrv, whi<'b "lad !:2eiJ a«) r J to the army in the reign of Queen Anne from tiie year iT02, and retained on the establishment at" er the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, oommenceri with the iW^z^^-et^/t^A, and ended with the Thirty-ninth regiment. 3. The Fortieth regiaienf: M^as formed in Uie year 1717, from independent compatiitjs in Ktith A.merica and the West Indies: — the cummand w»3 conferred on Colonel Richard Philips. 4. The Forty-first regiment was formed from Invalids in 1719: — the command was conferred on Colonel Edmund Fielding. 5. The other regiments of infantry, raised by King George I. on the augmentation of the aomy in the year 1715, were dis- banded in 1718, after the Monarchy, in the line of the House of Brunswick, had been established, and the Peace of the Kingdom restored. 6. The Forty-second Highland regiment was formed in the reign of King George II. from independent companies in Scotland, in the year 1739. It was originally termed " The Black Watch" and was placed on the establishment on the 25th October, 1739: — the command was conferred on Colonel James Earl of Crawford.* 7. The Forty-third regiment was raised for service in America, in the year 1740, by Colonel Andrew Spotswood, and afterwards commanded by Colonel W. Gooche. It was disbanded in 1743. * The Corps, which had been formed in 1 737 by Colonel James Ogle- thorpe for service in Georgia and South Carolina, was disbanded in 1749. It had not been ranked in the number of regiments of infantry in the Official Records of the Army, ^'ti.c gh in some publications of that period it was numbered tbe Fw ■, ^cond regiment, according to its seniority and the date of "ts ft,rir icio 2. APPENDIX TO THE MARINE CORPS. «i 8. The Ten regiments of Marines raised in 1739 and 1740, were numbered from the 44th to the 53rd regiments, as shown in the following list, viz. : — Marine Regiments. Ist Itegiment 2nd Regiment »> >» 3rd Regiment n » n n 4th Regiment » » 5th Regiment »> » >» n n )» 6th Regiment » »i »> »> >» »i 7th Regiment 8th Regiment Names of the Colonels. E. Wolfe . . G. Keightley . G. Churchill . Wm, Robinson Rt. Frazer . . Anthony Lowther R. Sowle . H. Holmes . J. Wynyard . Jas. Long . Byng, afterwards Visct. Torrington C. Douglas . J. Grant S. Daniel . . Jas. Cochrane . Honhle. Lucius Da cie Moreton . J. Cotterell Honhle. W. Herbert Jas. Laforey . H. Cornwall . W. Hanmore . J. Duncombe . Lord G. Beauclerk Jas. Jordan 9th Regiment C. Powlett 10th Regiment Periods of For- mation, &c. J. Jeffreys . Sir Andrew Agnew 1739 1745 1745 1739 1741 1739 1745 1746 Colour of the Facing. Deep Y.i low Green Lig'htYellow Preredence in the Regiments of Infantry of the Line. 1739 White . 1742 1744 1739 I Primrose 1741 ' Yellow 1741 1741 1739 1741 1747 1747 1740 1740 1742 1747 1748 1740 Green CuflTs, Collar, and Cap . . White . Light Yellow Buff 1740 i Deep Yellow 1746 i 44th Foot. 45th Foot 46th Foot 47th Foot 48th Foot. 49th Foot. 50th Foot. 51st Foot 52nd Foot, 53rd Foot. The above ten regiments were disbanded in November, 1748. E 2 52 APPENDIX TO TUE MAKINE COUPS. 65th 99 56th tf 57th 58th 99 69th 99 60th 99 43rd I?egt. 44th Regt. 45th Regt. 4Gth Regt. 47th Regt. 48th Regt. 9. The following seven regjment.s were raised, and added to the establishment of the army, in January, 1741 ; and in consequence of the disbandment of Colonel Spotswood's, afterwards Goodie's, American Provincials, and also of the ten regiments of Marines, the numerical titles of six of thfcse regiments %vere changed, after the peace of 1748, as specifiod in the following list ; viz. : — 54th Regt., com. by Colonel Thomas Fowke, now the James Long, . „ D. Houghton, . „ James Price, . „ J. Mordaunt, . „ J. Cholmondeley, „ H. De Grangue, disbanded in 1748. 10. The Forty-ninth regiment was formed in the year 1743, of two companies of one of the regiments raised in the reign of Queen Anne, which had remained at Jamaica, and of six other "ompanies formed in tliat colony. The command was give ' olonel Edward Trelawny, then Governor of Jani'ioi Ai , as retained on the establishment after the peace oi' 1748, i.ad numberecl the 49th regiment. 11. On the recommencement of hostilities with France in 1755, fifty companies of Marines were raised, under the direction and control of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. T/<(>.«e companies were formed into three di- visions, at the principal naval stations, PortsmoutL, Plymouth, and Chatham.* The Corps of Marines having been raised in 1755, and since that period retained on the establishment, as a branch of the permanent national force of Navy, Army, and Marines, have been authorise 1 to rank, when acting with infantry of the line, next to the Forty -ninth Regiment, as directed by His Majesty King George IV. in the following General Order, dated " Horse- Gttnrd.i, 30th March, 1820. " In reference to the Rcyuhitions regarding Precedence " of ftegiments (as oontained in page 10 of the General *• Regulations and Order.* of the Army), His JMajesty has beeti " graciously pha-sed to command, that tiie Royal Marines, " when acting with the Troops of the Line, slialJ take their " statiof) next to the Forty-ninth Regiment. " By C.f;i)>.i«.a.n(l of II. W. II. the Commander-in-Chief. *^ Urj^HY ToRRENS, Adjutant- General." * A Fourth Diuiuinn was foTfiffuk ti 'A'w.lwich by Order in Council dated 15th August, \H'ib, APPENDIX TO THK MARINE CORPS. 58 12. In the year 1145 two regiments were raised for service in Nortii America, by Colonel William Shirley and Colonel Sir William Pepperell. In 1754 they were numbered the 50th and 51st Regiments. 13. In December, ITfiS, eleven regiments were raised and added to the establishment of the army ; and in consequence of the disbandment of Colonel Shirley's and Sir William Pepperell's regiments in 1*757, the eleven regimoits, above alluded to, were ranked two numbers higher in the list of regiments of infantry, as shown in the following list; viz. : — 52iid Rcgt., com, by Colonel James Abercromby now the 50th Regt Robt. Napier, H. Lambton, . W. Whitmore, John Campbell, G. Perry . . Lord C. Manners John Arabin . Robt. Anstruther Charles Montagu 62nd Royal American,) ^^ , a,. ,, , „ x i of /o«r battalions, r ^"*- The Earl of Loudon, 53rd ?» n 54th » *• 55th i» II 56th » M 57th »• •f 58th )> M 59th >> » 60th ft M 61st «• ft • » 51st Regt. » 52nd Regt. • )» 53rd Regt. • »» 64th Regt. »> 55th Regt. »> 56th Regt. • fl 57th Regt. • » 58th Regt >> 59th*Regt, 60th Regt. 14. In April, 1758, the Second Battalions of the fifteen regiments, undermentioned, were formed into distinct regi- ments, and num'ored as shown in the following list; viz. : — 3rd Foot, 2dBatt., oonsf 61st Regt. | 19th Foot, 2d iJit* . jonst'^ 66th Regt. 4th Foot, „ „ 62nd Regt. I 20th Foot, „ „ 67th Regt. 8th Foot, 11th Foot, 12th Foot, » 6 8th Regt. 69th Regt. 70th Refft. 63rd Regt. 2;5rd Foot, „ <;4th Regt. 24th Foot, „ 65th Regt. 31st Foot, „ The Second Battalion of the 32nd was constituted the 71st Regt. 33rd „ ,, 72nd Regt. 34th „ „ 73rd Regt. 3(;th „ „ 74th Regt. >i M n » 37th „ „ 75th Regt. After the peace of Fontainebleau, ir* 1763, reductions were made i." the regular army, and the n \.i '.^er of regiments of infantry was limited to Seventy. The above 71st, 72nd, TSrd, 74th, and 75th Regiments were consequently dis- banded in that year. 15. The number of regimenis of infantry continued at Scit.nii/, until the commencement of the American War in r^ r % 54 APPENDIX TO THE MARINE CORPS. 1775, and the renewal of hostilities with France and Spain in 1779, wlien it was increased to One hundred and Five regi- ments, exclusive of Eleven unnu ibercd regiments, and thirty- six independent companies of Invalids. 16. After the General Peace in 1782 the number of regi- . ?nt8 of infantry was again reduced. 17. In consequence of an increase of possessions in India, and of additional troops being necessary for tlie suppression of certain native powers, which were hostile to the British Government. .^d'Mtional corps were raised and embarited for the Eait Indies u\ 1770, ftnd in subsequent years. 18. The present Sevcnty-Jirst regiment was raised in De- cember, 1777, and embarked for India in 1779. lu number was changed from 73rd to 7l8t regiment in 1786. 19. The present Seventy -second regiment was raised in December, 1777, and embarlted for India in 1781. Its num- ber was clianged from 78th to 72nd regiment in 1786. 20. The Seventy-third regiment was raised as the second battalion of the Forty-second (Highland) regiment in 1777, and embarked for India in 1781. It was formed into a dis- tinct regiment, and numbered the'^.i'd (Highland) in 1786. 21. The 74th (Highland), 75th (Highland), 76tl-, and 77th regiments were raised for service in India in Ociooer, 1787, and embarked for India in 1788. 22. Tlie 78th (Highland), 79th (Highland), 80th, 81st, P'?nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th, 90th, and 91st (Highland) regiments were raised in 1793, immediately after the commencement of the war with France, occasioned by the revolutionary and violent proceedings in that country in 1793. 23. The 92nd (Highland) and 93rd (Highland) regiments were raised and placed on the establishment of the army, the former on tlie 3rd May, 1796, and the latter on the 25th Augus , 1800. 24. 'le S ots Brigade was numbered the Ninety-fourth reginii nt on i, e 25th December, 1802. This corps had been formed in the year 1568, for service in Holland against the A.PrKNDIX TO THE MAllINE fORPa. 55 uppresNion <*t' Spain. Being a Uritisit corps, its services wero demanded from the United Province** by King James II. on tiie rebellion of the Duice of Monmonth in IG80, after the suppression of which it returned to Holland. It again em- barked for England with the Priiicw of Orange at tiie Revolu- tion in 1689. It remained in Great Britain until the Pro- testant cause had been established, and it re-embarked for Flanders in 1691, and served in the campaigns of King William III. It remained in tiie service of Holland until 1793, when it was decided by King George III., upon the application of the British officers remaining in if, to require the corps to return to Great Britain. It was taken on the British Establishment on the 5th July, 1793. It then con- sisted of Three battalions; in 1795 it was reduced to Two battalions, and embarked ibr Gibraltar. In 1796 it was formed into One battalion, and proceeded to the Cape of Go(m I Hope. It embarked, in 1798, for die East Indies, from whence, after much distinguished service, it returned to Eng- land in 1808. It embarked for Cadiz and Lisbon, and served with great credit in the Peninsular War, from January, 1810, to July, 1814. It was disbanded at Belfast on the 24th December, 1818. 25. The mjle Corps, commanded by Colonel Coote Man- ningham, was formed and added to the establishment of the Army on the 25th August, 1800. On 25th December, 1802, it was directed to be numbered tiie Nincty-Jifth regiment, but was taken out of the list of numbered regiments of infan- try on the 6th February, 1816, and directed to be styled " The Rifle Brigade." It then consisted of three battalions, which were distributed at the following stations, viz. : — 1st Battalion. — 6 Companies with the Army of Occupation iu France, and 4 Companies at Shorncliffe. 2nd Battalion. — 6 Companies with fl)r Army of Occupation in France, and 4 Companies at Slioivicliffe. 3rd Battalion. — 10 Companies at Dovt-r, This Battalion embarked for Ireland in March, iSKi. It vas disbanded at Birr on the 24th of November, 1818. 26. The present 94th, 95th, 96th, 97th, 98th, and 99lh re- giments were added to the establishment of the Army in tlie early part of the year 1824, in consequence of the increased number of the colonial possessions of the British Empire. ( 5. „ Tliird Driigoou Guards St. „ Fourth ditto 8«. „ FiftV. ditto 8». „ Sixthditto 8.(. „ Seventhditto 8«. IN f AN'J'ltY. or the First, or Royal Regiment of Print Hi. „ Second, or Quesn'i Fuot 8«. „ Third Foot, or the Buff* ISi . „ Fourth Fool, or the Kinif§ Own . 8i, ,. Fifth, or NorlhumburUndFtwilion 8«, ,. Sixth, or Royal First Warwiokiliir« 8f, „ Eighty-eighth, or Cunnuuvht Rftii- ger» .<•... 6t, EACH ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES. The above are Parts of a Series of Narratives of the several Regiments of the British Army, from the Periods of their Formation to the present time. ffhich are being prepared by RICHARD CANNON, Esq., Adjutmt-Gtneraft Office, HorseOuard*. 1840. : UBLIBBEB BY LoKOUAN, Obmi, and Co. Paternoster-row. Clowes and Sons, 14, Cliaring-cross. RiDOWAY and Sons, Piccadilly. Calkin and Budd, 118, Pall-mall. PiNKNET, Military Library, \Vhlt«li«U MiLLiKEN and Son, Dublin, Savaoe and Son, Corl*. A. and C. Black, Edinburgh. \ ' DS NAOK OV it of P(Ml 13«, 8f. 12f. i'lOwn . 81. FoNilieni 8f, wfckihiro 8i, itflit Ran- ......... 6t. meiitii of the lit tlino. itnltall.