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GENERAL ORDERS.

aORSE-OVARDS,

Ist January, 1886.

His Majesty has been pleased to command,
that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to
Regiments, 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 Achievement it may have performed, and the
Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from
the Enemy.

The Names of the OflScers and the number

of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed
or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the Place
and Date of the Action.

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 speci-
ally 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 Honourable
GENERAL LORD HILL,

Commanding-in-Chlef.

John Macdonald,

Adjutant- General.

PREFACE.

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 of 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 him in their
honourable career, are among the motives that have
given rise to the present publication.

The operations of the British Troops are, inde«^d,
announced in the " London Gazette," from wheiive
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
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

«2

PREFACE.

for their skill and bravery, and these testimonials,
confirmed by the high hont;ur of their Sovereign's
Approbation, constitute the reward which the
soldier n\ost 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 aciiievements.
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
long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of
war^ which i^w other countries have escaped, com-
paratively little is known of the vicissitudes of active
service, and of the casualties of climate, to which,
even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in
every part of the globe, with little or no interval of
repose.

In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which

PREFACE.

the country derives from the industry and the enter-
prise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy
inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on
the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor, — on
their sufferings, — and on tlie sacrifice of valuable
life, by which so many national benefits are obtained
and preserved. > ■ it

The conduct of the British Troops, their valour,
and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great
and trying difficulties; and their character has been
established in Continental warfare by the irresistible
spirit with which they have effected debarkations in
spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the
gallantry and steadiness with which they have main-
tained their advantages against superior numbers.

In the official Reports made by the respective Com-
manders, ample justice has generally been done to
the gallant exertions of the Corps employed; but
the details of their services, and of acts of individual
brdvery, can only be fully given in the Annals of the
various Regiments.

These Records are now preparing for publication,
under His Majesty's special authority, by Mr.
Richard Cannon, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant-
General's Office ; and while the perusal of them can-
not fail to be useful and interesting to military men
of every rank, it is considered that they will also
afford entertainment and information to the general
reader, particularly to those who may have served in
the Army, or who have relatives in the Service.

PREFACE.

There exists in the hreasts of most of those who)
have served, or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit
de Corps — an attachment to every thing belonging
to their Regiment ; to such persons a narrative of
the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove
interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of
the great, — the valiant, — ^the loyal, have always been
of paramount interest with a brave and civilized
people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes
who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood,
*' lirm as the rocks of their native shore ;" and when
half the World has been arrayed against them, they
have fought the battles of their Country with un-
shaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of
achievements in war, — victories so complete and sur-
prising, gained by our countrymen, — our brothers, —
our fellow-citizens in arms, — a record which revives
the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds
before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public.

Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other
distinguished Officers, will be introduced in the
Records of their respective Regiments, and the
Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to
time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testify-
ing the value and importance of its services, will be
faithfully set forth. v^

As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record
of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct num-
ber, so that when the whole shall be completed, the
Parts may be bound up in numerical succession. •

INTRODUCTION

THE INFANTRY.

The natives of Britain have, at all periods, been
celebrated for innate courage and unshaken firmness,
and the national superiority of the British troops
over those of other countries has been evinced in
the midst of the most imminent perils. History con- .
tains so many proofs of extraordinary acts of bravery,
that no doubts can be raised upon the facts which
are recorded. It must therefore be admitted, that
the distinguishing feature of the British soldier is
Intrepidity. This quality was evinced by the
inhabitants of England when their country was
invaded by Julius Caesar with a Roman army, on
which occasion the undaunted Britons rushed into
the sea to attack the Roman soldiers as they de-
scended from their ships ; and, although their dis-
cipline and arms were inferior to those of their
adversaries, yet their fierce and dauntless bearing
intimidated the flower of the Roman troops, in-
cluding Caesar's favourite tenth legion. Their arms
consisted of spears, short swords, and other weapons
of rude construction. They had chariots, to the

VUl

INTRODUCTION TO

axles of which were fastened sharp pieces of iron
resembling scythe-blades, and infantry in long
chariots resembling waggons, who alighted and
fought on foot, and for change of ground, pursuit,
or retreat, sprang into the chariot and drove off
with the speed of cavalry. These inventions were,
however, unavailing against Caesar's legions : in
the course of time a military system, with dis-
cipline and subordination, was introduced, and
British courage, being thus regulated, was exerted
to the greatest advantage ; a full development of
the national character followed, and it shone forth
in all its native brilliancy.

The military force of the Anglo-Saxons consisted
principally of infantry : Thanes, and other men of
property, however, fought on horseback. The
infantry were of two classes, heavy and light.
The former carried large shields armed with spikes,
long broad swords and spears ; and the latter
were armed with swords or spears only. They had
also men armed with clubs, others with battle-axes
and javelins.

The feudal troops established by William the
Conqueror, consisted (as already stated in the Intro-
duction to the Cavalry) almost entirely of horse ;
but when the warlike barons and knights, with their
trains of tenants and vassals, took the field, a pro-
portion of men appeared on foot, and, although
these were of inferior degree, they proved stout-
hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipen-
diary troops were employed, infantry always con-
stituted a considerable portion of the military force ;

THE INFANTRY.

and this arme has since acquired, in every quarter
of the globe, a celebrity never exceeded by the
armies of any iialion at any period.

The weapons carried by the infantry, during the
several reigns succeeding tlie Conque'st, were bows
and arrows, half-pikes, lances, halberds, various
kinds of battle-axes, swords, and daggers. Armour
was worn on the head and body, and in course of
time the practice became general for military men
to be so completely cased in steel, that it was
almost impossible to slay them.

The introduction of the use of gunpowder in the
destructive purposes of wax, in the early part of the
fouiiieenth century, produced a change in the arms
and equipment of the infantry-soldier. Bows and
arrows gave place to various kinds of fire-arms, but
British archers continued formidable adversaries ;
and owing to the inconvenient construction and
imperfect bore of the fire-arms when first introduced,
a body of men, well trained in the use of the bow
from their youth, was considcre<l a valuable acqui-
sition to every army, even as late as the sixteenth
century.

During a great part of the reign of Queen Eliza-
beth each company of infantry usually consisted of
men armed five different ways ; in every hundred
men forty were *' men-at-arms" and sixty •' shot ;"
the " nien-ut-arms " were ten halberdiers, or battle-
axe men, and thirty pikemen ; and the " shot " were
twenty archers, twenty musketeers, and twenty
harquebusiers, and each man carried, besides his
principal weapon, a sword and dagger.

INTRODUCTION TO

Companies of infantry varied at this period in
numbers from 150 to 300 men ; each company had
a colour or ensign, and the mode of forniation re-
commended by an English military writer (Sir John
Smithe) in 1590, was: — the colour in the centre of
the company guarded by the halberdiers ; the pike-
men in equal proportions, on each flank of the
halberdiers ; half the musketeers on each flank of
the pikes ; half the archers on each flank of the mus-
keteers ; and the harquebusiers (whose arms were
much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal
proportions on each flank of the company for skirmish-
ing.* It was customary to unite a number of com-
panies into one body, called a Regiment, which
frequently amounted to three thousand men ; but
each company continued to carry a colour. Numer-
ous improvements were eventually introduced in the
construction of fire-arms, and, it having been found
impossible to make armour proof against the muskets
then in use (vvhich carried a very heavy ball) without
its being too weighty for the soldier, armour was
gradually laid aside by the infantry in the seven-
teenth century : bows and arrows also fell into dis-
use, and the infantry were reduced to two classes,
viz. : musketeers, armed with matchlock muskets,

* A company of 200 raen would appear thus :—

flO 20 20 3U 2)0 30 20 20 20

lUrqtiebiuei. Atohers. Muiketi. Pikei. Hallierdi. Pike*. Mutkeli. Archeri. Harquebuim,

The musket carried a ball which weighed A of a pound ; and the
harquebus a ball which weighed ^i of a pound

THE INFANTRY.

swords, and dag-,iirs ; and pikemeny armed with pikes,
from fourteen to eighteen feet long, and swords.

In the early part of the seventeenth century
Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, reduced the
strength of regiments to 1000 men ; he caused the
gunpowder, which had heretofore been carried in
flasks, or in small wooden bandaliers, each contain-
ing a charge, to be made up into cartridges, and
carried in pouches ; and he formed each regiment
into two wings of musketeers, and a centre division
of pikemen. He also adopted the practice of form-
ing four regiments into a brigade ; and the number
of colours was afterwards reduced to three in each
regiment. He formed his columns so compactly that
his infantry could resist the charge of the celebrated
Polish horsemen and Austrian cuirassiers; and his
armies became the admiration of other nations His
mode of formation was copied by the English,
French, and other European states; but, so great
was the prejudice in favour of ancient customs, that
all his improvements were not adopted until near a
century afterwards.

In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-
service, styled the Admiral's regiment. In 167B
each company of 100 men usually consisted of 30
pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with
Hght firelocks. In this year tlie king added a com-
pany of men armed with hand-grenades to each of
the old British reginients, which was designated the
" grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived
as to fit in the muzzles of the muskets, and bayonets

INTRODUCTION TO

similar to those at present in use were adopted about
twenty years afterwards.

An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1635, by
order of King James II., to guard the artillery, and
was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now 7th Foot).
This corps, and the companies of grenadiers, did
not carry pikes.

King William III. incorporated the Admiral's
regiment in the Second Foot Guards, and raised
two Marine regiments for sea-service. During the
war in this reign, each company of infantry (ex-
cepting the fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14
pikemen and 46 musketeers ; tlie captains carried
pikes ; lieutenants, partisans ; ensigns, half-pikes ;
and Serjeants, halberds. After the peace in 1697 the
Marine regiments were disbanded, but were again
formed on the breaking out of the war in 1702.*

During the reign of Queen Anne the pikes were
laid aside, and every infantry soldier was armed
with a musket, bayonet, and sword ; the grenadiers
ceaserl, about the same period, to carry hand-gren-
ades ; and the regiments were directed to lay aside
their third colour : the corps o Royal Artillery was
first added to the army in this reign.

About the year 1745, the men of the battalion
companies of infantry ceased to carry swords ;

* The 30th, 31st, and 32nd Regiments were formed as Marine
corps in 1 702, and were employed as such during the wars in the
reign of Queen Anne. Tlie Marine corps were embarked in the
Fleet under Admiral Sir George Rooke, and were at tlie taking of
Gibraltar, and in its subsequent defence in 1704; they were after-
wards employed at the siege of Barcelona in 1 705.

THE INFANTRY.

• ••

Xlll

during the reign of George II. light companies ^\ere
udded to infantry regiments ; and in 1764 a Board
of General Officers recommended that the grenadiers
should lay aside their swords, as that weapon had
never heen used during the seven years' war. Since
that period the arms of the infantry soldier have been
limited to the musket and 'jayonet.

The arms and equipment of the British troops have
seldom di£fered mateiially, since the Conquest, from
those of other European states ; and in some respects
the arming has, at certain periods, been allowed to
be inferior to that of the nations with whom they
have had to contend ; yet, under this disadvantage*
the bravery and superiority of the British infantry
have been evinced on very many and most trying
occasions, and splendid victories have been gained
over very superior numbers.

Great Britain has produced a race of lion-like
champions who have dared to confront a host of
foes, and have proved themselves valiant with any
arms. At Crecy, King Edward III., at the head of
about 30,000 men, defeated, on the 26th of August,
1346, Philip King of France, whose army is said to
have amounted to 100,000 men ; here British valour
encountered veterans of renown : — the King of Bo-
hemia, the King of Majorca, and many princes and
nobles were slain, and the French army was routed
and cut to pieces. Ten years afterwards, Edward
Prince of Wales, who was designated the Black
Prince, defeated, at Poictiers, with 14,000 men,
a French army of 60,000 horse, besides infan-
try, and took John I., King of France, and his son

INTRODUCTION TO

Philip, prisoners. On the 25th of October, 1415,
King Henry V., with an army of about 13,000
men, although greatly exhausted by marches, pri-
vations, and sickness, defeated, at A^incourty 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 victoiy.

During the seventy years' war between the United
Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish mo-
narch, 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. f In the wars of Queen Anne,
the fame of the British army under the great
Marlborough 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 Willianis, in his Discourse on War, printed
in 1690, 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 Spanish
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
Buft's.

t Vide the Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of
Foot.

THE INFANTRY.

hf'

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 Wellington ; 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 glowed in the
breasts of the heroes of Crecy, Poictiers, Agin-
court, 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 lead-
ing causes of the splendid victories gained by the

XVI

INTRODUCTION TO

British 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 an 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 cha-
racter, connected with the hardships, sufferings,
and gallant exploits of British soldiers in the vari-
ous parts of the world where the calls of their Coun-
try and the commands of their Sovereign, have
required them to proceed in the execution of their

ilK

* " 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 ; hut
His Majesty 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 to assert the superiority of the national mili-
tary character, in situations uncommonly arduous, and under circum-
stances of peculiar diflBculty." — General Orders in 1801.

In the General Orders issued by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope
(afterwards Lord Hopetoun), 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, rendered necessary by the superiority
which the enemy had acquired, and which had materially impaired
the efficiency of the troops, many disadvantages were to be encoun-
tered. These have all been surmounted by the conduct of the troops
themselves ; and the enemy has been taught, that whatever advan-
tages of position or of numbers he may possess, there is inherent
in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not how to
yield, — that no circumstances can appal, — and that will ensure vic-
tory when it '» to be obtained by the exertion of any human mean^.

THE INFANTRY.

XVll

duty, whether in active continental operations, or
in maintaining colonial 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
Europe has produced. The formations and move-
ments of this armCt as at present practised, while
they are adapted to every species of warfare, and
to all probable situations and circumstances of ser-
vice, are calculated 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 character is maintained. The rank and in-
fluence, 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.

HISTORICAL RECORD

THE FIRST,

ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT:

OOMTAIinNa *K AOOOITNT OV

THE ORIGIN OF THE REGIMENT

IN TBI SKIftir OV

KING JAMES VL OF SCOTLAND,

ANB

OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
To 1846.

OOMPIttD BT

RICHARD CANNON, Esq.

adjutant-general's office, HOB8E 0UABO8.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON :
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,

30, CHARING CROSS.
H DCCC XLVII.

! f

i^iiDO- -Pm«T«D »» W. CiowMt & Sow, DuKi Stmit, Stampobd Snumt,
FoH HiB Majhty's Station»«t Orrioi

THE FIRST,

TliE ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT

Bears on its Colours, as a Re^mental Badge,

THE ROTAL CIPHER WITHIN THE CIRCIiB OF ST. ANDREW,
SURMOUNTED WITH A CROWN.

In the comers of the second Colour
THE THISTLE AND CROWN,

WITH THE MOTTO

"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT:"

ALSO THE

SPHYNX,

AND THE FOUiOWINO INSCRIPTIONS: —

" EGMONT-OP-ZEE,"— " ST. LUCIA,"—" EGYPT,"—

«CORUNNA,"—«BUSACO,"— "SALAMANCA,"-" VITTORIA,"—

"ST. SEBASTIAN,"—" NIVE,"—" PENINSULA,"

" NIAGARA,"—" WATERLOO,"

" NAUPORE,"— " MAHEIDPOOR,"— " A VA."

CONTENTS.

Aiino

882 Origin of the Scots Guards at the French Court

1420 Scots Auxiliaries sent to France

1421 Battle of BaugtS ....

1422 Scots Gendarmes instituted in France .
Capture of Avranches

1423 Battle of Cre van ....

1424 Verneuille . . •

1440 Scots Garde du Corps instituted in France
1495 Conquest of Naples • .

1515 Battle of Pavia ....

1590 Origin of the Royal Regiment
1613 Scots Regiment in the service of Sweden
1615 Capture of Kexholm, and siege of Plesko
1620 Riga, Dunamond, and Mittau

Scots Companies in the service of the Kiag of

Bohemia ....

1 622 f ^^'^^ ^^ Prague and Fleurus .

1625 Hepburn's Scots Regiment in the Swedish Service

Capture of Selburg, Duneberg, Nidorp, and

Dorpat ; and battle of Seraigallia

1626 Relief of Mew ....

1627 Capture of Kesmark and Marienberg, and action

at Dirschan ....

1628 Capture of Newburg, Strasberg, Dribentz, Sweitz,

and Massovia ....

Defence of Stralsund

1629 Skirmish near Thorn ....

1630 Relief of Rugenwald

Blockade of Colberg

1631 Capture of Frankfort on t!ie Oder .
LandHberg ,

1
2
3

12
13
14
16

^\ I

I I

XXIV

Anno

CONTENTS.

1631 Defence of the fortified camp at Werben

Battle of Leipsic

Capture of Halle, and services in Franconia

Wurtzburg and Marienberg .

Defence of Oxen ford

Capture of Frankfort on the Maine

Oppenheim and Mentz

1632 Donawerth ,

Forf I'ng the |iassage of the Lech

Capture of Augsburg .

Siege of Ingoldstadt

Capture of Landshut and Munich

Relief of Weissemberg

Defence of Niirenberg

Capture of Rayn and Landsberg

Relief of Rayn

1633 Skirmish near Memmingen

Capture of Kauf beuren

Siege of Kempten .

1634 Battle of Nordlingen .

Serv

Hepburn's Scots Regiment in the French

vSiege of La Motte, and relief of Heidelberg

1635 Hepburn's two regiments incorporated

Action near Met/. .

1636 Capture of Saverne
1638)^Siege of St. Omer .
1639 (Capture of Renty, Catelet, and Hesdin

Skirmish near St. Nicholas

1643 Battle of Roncroy

Capture of Thionville and Turin

1644 Capture of Graveliues
1046 ■ — Coiirtray and Dunkirk .

1648 Ikttlo of Lens

1649 Sit'go of I'liris

1652 Action in tlie suburbs of Paris .

Skinuish at Villeneuve, St. George's

Cupliirc of Bar \v Due, and Ligny

1653 Ca|)turp of Chftteau Port icn and Vervins

nee :

Page

21
22

24
26
27

30
31
88

34
35
36

38
39
40
41

42
43

44
45
47

48
49

Anno

1661
1662

1666
1668
1672
1673
1674

1675

1676
1677
1678

1679
1680

1683
1684

1685

1686

1688

1689

I(i0()

CONTENTS. XXV

Page

The Regiment proceeds to England . . 52

Returns to France ; Scots Guards incorporated in

the Regiment .... 53
Proceeds to England, and afterwards to Ireland . —

Returns to France .... 54

Capture of Grave . . . • —

Maestricht ... 55

Skirmishes near Heidelberg . . . —

Battle of Moisheim . . 56

Capture of Dachstein . . . .57

Defence of Treves .... —

Skirmish near Saverne . . .58

Kochersberg and capture of Fribourg 59

Returns to England . . . .60

Grenadier Company added ... —

Stationed in Ireland . . . . —

Four Companies proceed to Tangier . 61

Action with the Moors . . . —
Twelve additional Companies proceed to Tangier 62

Actions with the Moors . . .63

One Company from Tangier to England . 67

Fifteen Companies ditto . . —

Five Companies from Ireland to England . —
Styled " The Royal Regiment of Foot''

Reviewed by King Charles II. . . 68

Battle of Sedgemoor . . . .70

Rewards to Wounded Officers and Men . 72

Reviewed by King James II. , , .73

Divided into Two Battalions . . 74

2nd Battalion proceeds to Scotland . . —

1st , , encamps on Huunslow Heath . —

1st , , ditto . . .75

2nd , , from Scotland to England . —

The Revolution , . . . —

The Regiment mutinies ... 77

2nd Battalion proceeds to Scotland . . 79

1st , , , , the Netherlands . —

Ist , , liiittle of WaU'ourt . . ~
2nd liattalion prooewls from Scotland to Holland 80

XXVI

Anno

1692
1693
1695
1696
1698
1701
1702

1703
1704

1705

1706

1707
1708

1709

1710

1711
1712
1714
1715
1741

CONTENTS.

P«ge

Battle of Steenkirk . , . .81

Landen .... 84

1st Battalion, Siege of Namur . . .87

Reviewed by King William III. . . 91

Embarks for Ireland . . . .92

Embarks for Holland ... 93

Covering the siege of Kayserswerth . . 94

Skirmish near Nimeguen ... —

Covering tlie sieges of Venloo and Ruremonde 95

Capture of Stevensvvart and Liege . . —

Huy and Limburg . . 97

Battle of Schellenberg • , .99

Blenheim ... 102

Covering the siege of Landau . . .105

Recapture of Huy . . . 106
Forcing the French lines at Neer-Hespen and

Helixem . . . . 107

Skirmish near the Dyle . . . lOS

Battle of Ramilies . . . . 1 09
Covering the sieges of Dendermond, Ostend, and

Menin .... —

Capture of Aeth . . . .110
The regimental badge changed from the Cross

to the Circle of St. Andreto . . —

Battle of Oudenarde . . . .111

Covering the siege of Liale . . 112

Battle of Wynendale . . . 113

Forcing the passage of the Scheldt . .114

Capture of Ghent ... —

Capture of Tournay . . .115

Battle of IMalplaquet . . . 116

Covering the siege of Mons . . .118

Douay and Bethune —

Capture of Aire . . . .119

Boucluiin ... —

Covering the siege of Quesiioy . ,120

Returns to Kngliiiid . . . 121

I'roceedM to Ireland . . . .122

2nd Battalion proceeds to the West Indies . 128

CONTENTS.

XXVll

Anno

1742 2nd Battalion proceeds to England

1 743 , , returns to Ireland

1st Battalion proceeds to Flanders

1 745 , , battle of Fontenoy .

, , embarks for England

2nd BattaUon

ditto

1746

> »
» >

marches to Scotland
battle of Falkirk
Culloden

1st Battalion, expedition to L'Orient, &c. .

1 747 t , proceeds to Holland

, , relief of Hulst, and defence of

Fort Sandberg ....

1748 2nd Battalion proceeds to Holland

1749 Both Battalions proceed to Ireland

1751 Regulation respecting Colours and Clothing ; and
designated " The First, or Royal Regiment
of Foot" .....

1757 2nd Battalion proceeds to North America .

1758 ,, capture of Louisburg

1759 ,, Ticonderago, and Crown

Point ....

1760 2nd Battalion, expedition against the Cherokees
, , capture of Isle aux Noix, and

Montreal ....

1st Battalion proceeds to Quiberon Bay ; returns

to Ireland ....

1761 2nd Battalion, expedition against the Cherokees

, , capture of Dominico

capture of Martinico, and the

Ilavannah .
re-capture of Newfoundland
returns to England .
proceeds to Scotland
Gibraltar .

Psge

123

124
125

126

127
128
130

1762

1763 ,,

1764

1768 1st Battalion

2iid Battalion returns to England

mi ,, proceetls to Minorca

1775 Both Battalions return to England

1780 1st Ikttalion proceeds to the West Indies

131
132

134

135
136

141

142

144

147
148

149

XXVIU

CONTENTS.

il.

Anno

1*781

1782

1784

1790
1793
1794

1795
1796
1797

1798
1799

1800

1801

1st Battalion, capture of St. Eustatia, St. Martin,
and Saba .

, , defence of St. Christopher

, , returns to England .
2nd Battalion proceeds to Gibraltar
1st Battalion Ireland

, , West Indies

2nd Battalion, defence of Toulon .

, , descent on Corsica ; capture of

Convention Redoubt, and Calvi
1st Battalion proceeds to St. Domingo

, , capture of Fort L'Acal

, , attack on Bombarde .

, , defence of a Block House .

, , capture of Port-au-Prince

, , defence of Fort Bizzeton .

, , an out-post

2nd Battalion proceeds to Elba

1st Battalion returns to England ; proceeds to

Scotland ....

2nd Battalion proceeds to Portugal

1st Battalion Ireland ,

2nd Battalion returns to England

, , expedition to Holland

, , action near the Helder

, , Sliagen ,

, , battle of Egmont-op-Zee .

, , returns to England .

, , expedition to Ferrol and Cadiz

1st Battalion proceeds to Scotland .

2nd Battalion, expedition to Egypt

, , battle of Aboukir

, , Alexandria

. , skirmishes at llamed, El Aft, &c.

, , capture of Cairo, and Alexandria

1st Battalion returns to England .

, , proceeds to the West Indies

,, capture of St. Martin, St. Thomas,

St. John, and Santa Cruz . .

P»ge

149

152
153

156
159

160

161
162
162
163

164
165
166

168
170

171

172

CONTENTS.

XXIX

Anno

1801 2nd Battalion proceeds to Malta

1802 ,, Gibraltar

1803 , , returns to England

, , proceeds to the West Indies .

, , capture of St. Lucia, and Tobago

1st Battalion Essequibo, Demerara,

and Berbice

1804 Ttvo additional Battalions embodied

1805 4th Battalion proceeds to Ireland

3rd Battalion England

2nd Battalion England

1806 4th Battalion England .

1807 2nd Battalion the East Indies

3rd Battalion Ireland .

4th Battalion Scotland

1808 ,, England .

3rd Battalion, expedition to Spain

1809

, , battle of Corunna

, , embarks for England

, , expedition to Walcheren

, , siege of Flushing

, , returns to England .

1810 1st Battalion, capture of Guadaloupe .

3rd Battalion proceeds to Portugal

, , battle of Busaco .

■ 4th Battalion proceeds to Scotland

1811 3rd Battalion, battle of Fuentes d'Onor .

1812 ,, siege of Ciudad Rodrigo

Styled, " First Regiment of Foot, or Royal Scots" —

3rd Battalion, siege of Badajoz

, , skirmish near Torrecille de la Orden 184

, , battle of Salamanca

, , siege of Burgos

, , skirmish near Palencia

1st Battalion proceeds to Canada .

1813

attack on Sackett's Harbour

Sodius

skirmish near Four-mile Creek

Cross-roads

capture of Fort Niagara .

172

173

174

175

176

177
178
179

180

181

182

183

185

186

188

189

M '<

XXX CONTENTS.

Anno Ptgt

1813 1st Battalion, capture of Black-rock and Buffalo 190

3rd Battalion, skirmish near Osma . .192

, , battle of Vittoria . . —

,, capture of St. Sebastian . .193

, , passage of the Bidassoa . 195

,, battles of Nivelle and Nive . 196

4th Battalion proceeds to Swedish Pomerania —

1814 1st Battalion, action at Longwood . . 191

, , skirmish near Chippewa . 198

,, battle of Lundy's Lnne . .199

, , siege of Fort Erie . . 201

, , action at Cook's Mills . . 202

2nd Battalion employed against the Pindarees 203

3rd Battalion, blockade of Bayonne . —

4th Battalion, siege of Bergen-op-Zoom . —

, , returns to England . . 204

, , proceeds to Canada . . 205

— — 3rd Battalion, repulsing the sortie from Bayonne —

— — , , proceeds to Ireland . . 206

1815 1st and 4th Battalions return to England . 201
— — 3rd Battalion proceeds to Flanders . —

, , battle of Quatre Bras . . 208

,, Waterloo . . 210

,, advances to Paris . .212

4th Battalion proceeds to France . . —

1816 , , returns to England, and disbanded 214

1st Battalion proceeds to Ireland . . —

1811 3rd Battalion returns to England, and disbanded 215

Order respecting inscriptions on the colours . —

2nd Battalion, services against the Pindarees

, , battle of Nagpore .

' , , Maheidpoor

1818

216
211
221
223

1819

» T

capture of Fort Talnere
capture of Forts Gawelghur, and

Narnullah
operations against Peishwah Bajee

Rao

capture of Forts Unkye, Rajdeir,
Inderye, Trimbuck, and Malleygaum 221
capture of Asseerghur

225

226

CONTENTS.

XXXI

Anno

1819 2nd Battalion capture of Asseerghur
1821 The title of " First, or Royal Regiment oj Foot"

restored

1825 2nd Battalion embarks for Rangoon
, , action at Donabew

, , skirmishes at Padoun Mew .

act lon at Simbike
action near the Irawaddy

1826 1st Battalion, Service Companies proceed to the

West Indies
, , Reserve Companies proceed to

Scotland ....
2nd Battalion, action at Melloone .

» >
> *

-Pagahm Mew

P«ge

229
236

237

240
244
246

248

249
250
251
252
254
249

, , returns to Madras

1831 , , embarks for England

1832 , , proceeds to Scotland
The colours of both Battalions assimilated . —

1833 Ist Battalion, Reserve Companies proceed to

Ireland .... 255
— — 2nd Battalion proceeds to Ireland . . 256

1st Battalion, Service Companies proceed to Ireland —

1S36 2nd Battalion, proceed to Canada —

1837

Dep6t companies proceed to England 257
Service Companies, action at St.
Charles ... —

— ^— — — action at

Point Oliviere

action at

St. Eustache .

1838 1st Battalion proceeds to Scotland

1839 , , Service Companies embark for

Gibraltar
1841 , , Dep6t Companies proceed to Ireland

1843 2nd Battalion, Service Companies embark for the

West Indies
— — ,, Wreck of the Premier Transport,

and return of the head-quarter division

to Quebec

258

259
261

XXXll

CONTENTS.

Anno Vage

1844 2nd Battalion, head-quarters, and three Companies
proceed to Nova Scotia, and embark
for the West Indies . . 261

1846 , , Service Companies embark for Scot-

land, and joined by Depot Companies . —

1st Battalion, Service Companies embark for the

West Indies ... 262

The conclusion .... 263

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

ts-

1633 Sir John Hepburn

1636 James Hepburn

1637 Lord James Douglas
1655 Lord George Douglas .
1688 Frederick Duke Schomberg

1691 Sir Robert Douglas .

1692 Lord George Hamilton
1737 Honourable James St. Clair
U62 Sir Henry Erskine, Bart.
1765 John Marquis of Lome
1782 Lord Adam Gordon

1801 His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent
1820 George Marquis of Huntly
1834 Thomas Lord Lynedoch
1843 Sir George Murray, G.C.B.
1846 Sir James Kempt, G.C.B.

265
267

268

270
271
272
273

274

275
279
280
285

288

'.: PLATES. '■'■"' ' " "

Colours of the Regiment, to precede . . Page 1

Colonel Sir Robert Douglas, at the Battle of Steenkirk,

to face ....•• 83
Uniform in 1838, to face . . • .261

■Tif

Psge

261

les
rk

it-
be
262
263

265
267

. 268

270
271
272
273

274
275
279
280

285
288

pypj

83
261

Colours of the lit, or Royal Regiment of Foot.

[To fnce p*g( 1.

HISTORICAL RECORD

■'■■-'*■■■ OF

THE FIRST, H '

ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT.

[Tu fKca p>g« 1.

The Royal Regiment of Foot is the representative of 882
a body of gallant Scots, formerly in the service of the
celebrated GustavusAdolphus, King of Sweden; and
of another body of Scots, many years in the service of the
Kings of France ; and it claims an origin anterior to that
of any other coi^ in the British army ; but, although a
laborious research has been made, and much information
procured, yet, owing to the little attention which was
paid to the history of military bodies previously to the
last century, all the circumstances connected with its
origin have not been ascertained. Its first Colonel was
Sir John Hepburn, a distinguished officer, well
known in Europe during the early part of the seven-
teenth century ; but it appears to have existed some time
as independent companies before it was constituted a
regiment. Tradition has connected its early services with
the ancient Scots Guards at the French court ; and, in
order that the claims of the Royal Regiment to anti-
quity may be clearly understood, a brief statement of the
origin and services of the Scots Guards is introduced
into this record. , •

1. ^ . - - ::M "

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

882 The Scots have been celebrated for deeds of arms for
many centuries, and they have been described by histo-
rians as a hardy, valiant, and generous people. Led by
a native ardour for military fame, many Scotsmen have
quitted their own country, and, like the daring adven-
turers of the remote ages, they have sought renown in
foreign lands, where they have acquired celebrity for
martial achievements, long before the practice of forming
military bodies into regiments existed. It is recorded in
history, that as early as the year 882, Charles III., King
of France, had twenty-four armed Scots, in whose fidelity
and valour he reposed confidence, to attend his person as
a guard.*

The life of Louis IX. is stated to have been twice
preserved, — once in France, and afterwards in Egypt
during the Holy War, by his faithful and valiant Scots
attendants ; and that monarch, after his return from

1 254 Palestine, in 1254, increased the number of Scots who
attended his person to about one hundred, and consti-
tuted them a Corps of Guards, f The practice of having
armed Scots attendants appears to have been continued
by the succeeding sovereigns of France, and Charles V.
is stated to have placed this corps on a regular establish-
ment.

1415 When King Henry V. of England, after having gained
the memorable victory at At/inrourf, on the 25tli of Oc-
tober, 141 5, and captured many of the principal towns and

1420 castles of France, was acknowledged as heir to the French
throne by Charles VI., the Scots Guards appear to have
quitted the court, and to have taken part with the Dau-
phin (afterwards Cliarles VII.), in his resistance to the

* nislu)]) Lesley j and Alwrcronihy's Martini Achiovcnu'nts of
«!ic Scots Nation.

f L'Escosso Fran^oisc, pnr A. lloiiaton; and the Translator's
Preface to Uenuge's History of the Cumpaigns in 1548 and 1549,

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

new arrangement which deprived him of the succession 1420
to the crown. At the same time _7000 men were sent
from Scotland, under the command of John Earl of
Buchan, to assist the Dauphin, and these auxiliaries 1421
having evinced signal gallantry on several occasions,
especially at the battle of Baugd^ on the 22nd March,
1421, when the Duke of Clarence and above a thousand 1422
English were killed, King Charles VII. selected from
among them one hundred "Men at Arms," and one
hundred " Archers," whom he constituted a corps of
Guards for the protection of the Royal Person, which
corps was subsequently designated the " Gendarmes
EcossoisEs :" at the same time, the Scots Commander,
the Earl of Buchan, was appointed Constable of France.
The Scots continued with the French army, and signalized
themselves at the capture of Avranches, in Normandy, in
1422 ; and at the battle r>f Crevan, in 1423. An addi- 1423
tional force of five thousand men was sent from Scotland
to France in 1424, and the Scots gave proof of personal 1424
bravery at the battle of Vcrneuille, in 1424; and in the
attack of an English convoy under Sir John Falstolfe, in
1429; and after these repeated instances of gallantry, 1429
Charles VII. selected a number of Scots gentlemen of 1440
quality and approved valour, whom he constituted a
Guard, to which he gave precedence before all other
troops in France, and this guard was designated Le
Garde du Corps Ecossoises.* The Scots Gen-
darmes, and Garde du Corps, continued to form part

ioveiiicnts of

* Milan, a military publisher remarkable for eorrcet dates,
states, i!i an aeoount of the French army printed in 1746, that
the .'Srw^f Gcwrfnrwcv were instituted in 1422, and the Scots Garde
du Corps in 1440. Pere Daniel, the French military historian,
adduces |)roof that they were instituted by Charles VII., but does
not give the dates.

4 THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1440 of the French military force until about the year 1788 ;
but for more than a hundred years before their dissolu-
tion the officers and men were nearly all French.

1484 About the year 1484, another auxiliary force pro-
ceeded from Scotland to France ; and the Scots in the
French service signalized themselves in various parts of

1495 Europe, but especially in Italy in the year 1495, and
they acquired the principal glory in the conquest of
Naples.* There were also Scots troops with the French

1509 army serving against the Venetians in 1509,t and with

1515 King Francis I. of France, in Italy, in 1515, in which
year the Scots Guards were nearly all killed in defence
of the King's person before Pavia, where he was taken
prisoner. J After this fatal battle King Francis is stated
to ha\ 3 exclaimed, " We have lost everything but our
honour !"

1590 Two historical accounts of the origin and services of
the First, OR Royal, Regiment of Foot, have already
been printed, in which this corps is stated to be a corti-
nuation of the ancient Scots Guards at the French Court
but this is an error, — the Scots Guards were Cavalry,
and this was always an Infantry corps, and it never sus-
tained any character in the French army, but that of a
regiment of the line. The supposition, that this Regi-
ment was formerly the Body Guard of the Scottish kings
is also without foundation.

Milan, a military historian of the 18th century, who
evinced much zeal and assiduity in tracing the origin of
every British corp?, designates the Royal Regiment an
"Old Scots Corps; the time of its rise unceh-

♦ Hisho)) Lcsloy ; and Pliilij) do Comminos.
t List of the French uiniy printed ot the time.
X L'Ecosse Francjioise, par A. Houston.

REGIMENT OF FOOT,

T \ I N ;" and in the two editions of his succession of Colonels, 1 590
jmblished in 1742 and 1746, he did not give the date of
the appointment of its first Colonel, Sir John Hepburn ;
but, in a subsequent edition, he states the 26th of January,
1633, to be the date of this officer's commission, as Colo-
nel of the Old Scots Corps. This date appears to be
correct, as Sir John Hepburn did not quit Germany
until 1632, and no mention of a Scots Regiment in the
French service has been met with in any of the military
histories, or other French works (of which many volumes
have been examined), previously to 1633. This corps must,
however, have existed some time as independent com-
panies, previously to its being constituted a regiment, ns
Pere Daniel, in his history of the French army,* states,
that this regiment, which he designates "Le Regiment
DE Douglas," was sent from Scotland to France in the
reign of James VI. (James I. of England), and this mo-
narch commenced his reign in 1567, when he was only a
child, and died in 1625 ; hence it is evident that it had
been in France some years before its formation into a re-
giment, under the command of Sir John Hepburn, took
place. Pore Daniel also alludes to this corps, in connexion
with Henry IV. of France, and thus associates its services
with the wars between that monarch and the Leaguers,
which fixes the date of its arrival in France about the
second year of his reign, viz. 1590. Francis Grose, the
author of the British Military Antiquities, docs not pro-
fess to be in possession of any information respecting the
Royal Regiment, beyond what he obtained from Pere
Daniel ; and the French historians of the seventeenth
century introduce the regiment into their works abruptly,
without saying a word about its origin. Thus, the only

• Ilistoiro dc la Milicc Frunvoiso, pur Lc Tdrc Duniel. 2 torn.
4to. Paris, 1721.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

: I

Wrli

t\\

1590 intelligence extant relating to the origin of this distin-
guished corps, and which is corroborated by collateral
evidence, amounts to this : — "A body of Scottish In-

" FANTRY PROCEEDED FROM SCOTLAND TO FrANCE IN
" THE REIGN OF JaMES VI., TO ASSIST HeNRY IV. IN HIS
" WARS WITH THE LeAGUERS ; AND WAS CONSTITUTED

" IN January, 1633, a regiment, which is now the
" First, or Royal, Regiment of Foot in the
'* British line." The companies which proceeded to
France were probably raised and commanded by men who
had served in the Scots Guards at the French Court,
which might give rise to the tradition of the Royal
Regiment being connected with that corps ; and, as the
Scots Guards have ceased to exist, the Royals may be
considered as the representative of that ancient body.

The occasion of these Scots companies being raised
and sent to France in the reign of James VI., was the
succession of Henry of Navarre, a Protestant prince, to
the throne of France, in 1589, by the title of Henry IV.,
when a sanguinary war commenced between him and the
combined Roman Catholic princes and nobles, called the
Leaguers, who opposed his accession to the throne with
all their power and influence. Queen Elizabeth furnished
the French monarch with auxiliary English forces ; the
King of Scotland permitted his subjects to aid the Pro-
testant cause, and several companies of Scottish foot were

1591 raised and sent to France. The British troops highly
distinguished themselves under the Lord Willoughby,
Sir John Norris, Sir Roger Williams, and other com-

1595 manders. The English afterwardo quitted France, but
Henry IV., having discovered the value of these com-
panies of hardy and valiant Scots, retained them in his
service.

um In 1609, and the early part of 1610, Henry IV. made

REGIMENT OF FOOT. 7

preparations for engaging in a war with the House of 1610
Austria ; but he was murdered in the streets of Paris on
the 14th of May, 1610; and, after his death, his son,
Louis XIII., being a minor, the preparations for war were
discontinued, and part of the army was disbanded.

Leaving the Scots companies in France, where they
appear to have been employed in garrison duty for many
years, the Record commences the narrative of the services
of another body of Scots, under the King of Sweden, of
which the Royal Regiment is also the representative.

GusTAVus Adolphus, King of Sweden, who was de- 1611
signated "</te lion of the north^^ succeeded to the throne
in 1611, and he soon began to take an important part in
the affairs of Europe. Having heard of the valour of the
Scots, he procured, in 1613, a number of companies from 1613
Scotland and from the Netherlands,* and formed two
Scots regiments. He also hired fifteen ships from the
Scots nation, which took the town and district of Dron-
theim, and sailed afterwards to the southernmost shores
of Sweden. t

A peace was soon afterwards concluded between Swe-
den and Denmark ; but Gustavus retained his Scots
veterans in his service; and in 1615 he commenced a 1615
war with Russia. He soon rendered himself master of
the province of Ingria, — took by storm the strong fort of
Kcxholm, and besieged Plesko; but he was induced to
desist from further enterprises by the pacific interposition
of King James I. of England, and a cessation of hostilities 1616
took place.

* The companies obtained from the Netherlands were part of
a distinguished body of Scots, who iiad been n)any years in the
service of the States-General of the United Provinces ; and were,
in consequence of a truce having been concluded for 12 years, at
liberty to engage in the service of Sweden. Vide Historical
Record of the Third Foot.

t Introdc'tion dc Puffendorf, tome iv. p. 84.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

! I

1617 The Scots in the service of Gustavus were, however,
allowed but a short period of repose before they were
again called upon to take the field. In 1617 Gustavus
invaded Poland ; and his troops were engaged in various

1619 actions until 1619, when a truce was agreed upon by the
contending powers.

1620 In 1620 the King of Sweden renewed the war ; and
the Scots, under Colonels Ruthven and Seaton, dis-

1621 tinguished themselves at the siege and capture of Riga^
the capital city of Livonia. The towns of Dunamoud
and Mittau were also captured soon afterwards ; and
these successes were followed by another truce.

Meanwhih e'^ents had transpired which gave rise to
tiie formation of another body of Scots, with whose
services the Royal Regiment is also connected. The
Protestants of Bohemia having revolted from the do-
ininion of Austria, elected to the throne the Count
Palatine, who was assisted by an English regiment
under Sir Horace Here ; and had also in his service
a regiment of English and Scots, under Colonel Gray ;
and one of the Scots companies was commanded by
John Hepburn, who was the first Colonel of the Royal
Regiment. Gray's regiment was employed in 1620 to
guard the King of Bohemia's person ; but after the loss
of the battle of Prague in 1621, His Majesty fled to
Holland. Gray's regiment formed part of the force
rallied by the Earl of Mansfield ; after many enter-
prises, it retreated to the Palatinate, and was employed
in Alsace and Germany.

1622 After the Princes of the Union had made peace with
the Emperor, it retreated through Alsace and Lorraine,
and along the borders of France to the Netherlands, and
was engaged with a Spanish force near Fleurus (30th
August, 1622), when Sir James Ramsay and Captains
IIepuu RN and Hume evinced signal gallantry. The army

nEGlMENT OF FOOT.

afterwcards proceeded to Holland, and was disbanded; 1622
when Hepburn and his company entered the service of
the King of Sweden. About the year 1625, Gustavus 1625
Adolphus appointed John Hepburn Colonel of a Scots
regiment, of which the Royal Regiment op Foot is
the representative.

The King of Sweden renewed hostilities with Poland
in 1625, and conquered Selburg, Duneherg, Nidorp,
and Dorpat ; and defeated the Polish army on the plains
of Semigallia.

During the succeeding year he captured several places 1626
belonging to the Elector of Brandenburg ; and in a short
time afterwards gained possession of Polish Prussia.

Historians have omitted to state the part which the
Scots regiments took in these services ; but it is recorded
that at the relief of Mew, a town near the conflux of the
river Versa into the Vistula, Colonel John Hepburn's
Scots soldiers highly distinguished themselves. These
veterans being sent upon a desperate service, climbed a
steep and difficult eminence with surprising alacrity to
attack the Poles.

" When Thurn and Hepburn had gained the summit,
" which lay near the banks of the Vistula, they found the
'* Polish soldiers entrenching themselves, and fell on them
" with incredible fury. But as the Poles poured in
" fresh troops cveiy moment, the fight was maintained
" for two hours with surprising obstinacy. During this
" interval Gustavus Iirew a supply of men and ammu-
" nition into the town. And jiere, once more, it appeared
" that infantry were able to resist an equal or superior
" body of cavalry, for the fire of Thurn's soldiers was ir-
" resistible, and the pikemen stood immovable, like a wall
" of brass." * The Poles, dismayed at the desperate re-

Harto's Life of Gustavus Adolphus.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

■I

1626 solution of their opponents, raised the siege, and Gustavus
entered the town on the same evening.

1627 The King of Sweden made his appearance in Prussia
in 1627, at the head of a brave and well appointed army,
of which Colonel Hepburn's regiment formed a part ;
he took Kesmark by assault, and defeated, on the same
day, a division of Polish troops marching to its relief.
He afterwards besieged and captured Marienherg ; and
defeated the Poles at Dirschan.

1628 The army was joined in 1628 by nine thousand Scots
and English soldiers, and from this period the British
troops took an important part in the military operations
of the Swedish monarch, who was now at the head of
2,000 cavalry, 24,000 infantry, and 3,000 archers. He
repulsed the Poles in a sharp skirmish, and captured four
field-pieces and fourteen colours; and he subsequently
besieged Dantzic, but he afterwards relinquished his de-
sign on this place, and captured, by surrender, Newhurg^
Strasherg, and Dribentz, and took Sweitz and Mas-
sovia by storm.

This year Stralsund was besieged by the Imperialists,
and two Scots regiments in the service of the King of
Denmark, with a detachment from the King of Sweden's
army, under the Scots Colonel, Sir Alexander Lesley,
assisted in the defence of the town ; after a siege of
three months, the Emperor's General, Albert Count
Walstein, having half-ruined a numerous army, retired
from before the place.

1629 In the succeeding year the Emperor Ferdinand II.
commenced measures for the extirpation of the protestant
religion in Germany, where it had taken deep root for about
a century ; he also sent troops to the assistance of the Poles
in their war with Sweden ; but Gustavus was enabled to
oppose the united armies, and to hold them in check.
In a partial action between the ad /ancc-guards, a few

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

miles from Thorn, Gustavus's hat was knocked off in a 1629
personal encounter with one of the enemy's officers
named Sirot, who afterwards wore the hat without
knowing to whom it belonged. O" ^e succeeding day,
two prisoners (one a Scots officer named Hume) seeing
Sirot wearing the King, their master's, hat, wept exceed-
ingly, and with exclamations of sorrow, desired to be in-
formed if the King was dead. Sirot, being thus made
acquainted with the quality of his antagonist in the pre-
cedhig day's skirmish, related the manner in which he
became possessed of the hat, upon which they recovered
a little from their anxiety and surprise. Soon after-
wards the King of Poland, having nearly exhausted his
resources, became disposed to enter into pacific relations
with Sweden, and a treaty was concluded in the summer
of this year.

This peace gave the King of Sweden an opportunity of
executing his design of interposing in behalf of the per-
secuted protestants of Germany, in which he was abetted
by England, France, and Holland, and the Scots in his
service had the honour of taking part in this glorious
enterprise.

Preparations were made for this great undertaking 1630
with perseverance and judgment. It is recorded in his-
tory that the King of Sweden had in his service ten
thousand English and Scots soldiers, well nurtured and
experienced in war, in whom "he always principally
" confided, conferring on them the glory of every critical
" and trying adventure." Amongst these forces, Colo-
nel John Hepburn's Scots Regiment appears to have
held a distinguished character for gallantry on all occa-
sions ; and no troops appear to have been found better
calculated for this important enterprise than the Scots,
who proved brave, hardy, patient of fatigue and priva-

Hi'

1' »

.11

S-1 ' 1!

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1630 tion, frugal, obedient, and sober soldiers. In addition to
tlie British troops already in his service, Gustavus after-
wards entered into a treaty with the Marquis of Hamil-
ton, who engaged to raise eight thousand English and
Scots for the service of the Swedish monarch.

When the King sailed with his main army for Pome-
rania, where he arrived towards the end of June, 1630,
Colonel Hepburn's Regiment was stationed under
the renowned Chancellor Oxenstiern in Polish Prussia ;
but it was soon afterwards engaged in operations in
Outer Poraerania ; and was subsequently again stationed
in Prussia, from whence it was suddenly ordered to
Rugenwaldy in consequence of the following extraordinary
occurrence.

One of the Scots regiments* in the service of Sweden,
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monro,
having embarked from Pillau in the middle of August,
in order to join the main army, was shipwrecked a short
distance from Rugenwald in Pomerania, which place was
occupied by a garrison of Imperialists. These brave
Scots, being cast ashore, drenched with wet, without
ammunition, and having only their pikes and swords,
and a few wet muskets, found themselves surrounded by
garrisons of the enemy, and at a distance of eighty miles
from the king and his army ; yet, with astonishing reso-

• The regiment alluded to was raised by Donald Mackay,
Lord Reay, in 16-2(), for the service of the King of Denmark ; it
was afterwards in the service of the King of Sweden, and was
reduced in 1634 to one compaBj. In 1637, Colone. Robert
Monro, who had served in the regiwjent from the time it was
raised, published an historical account of its services, under the
title of Monro's Expedition; from which history much valuable
information has been obtained relating to the Royal Regiment,
and its first Colonel, Sir John Hepburn, who had lived in terms of
intimacy and strict friendship with Colonel Monro from the time
they were schoolfellows.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

lution and courage, under such disadvantageous circum- 1630
stances, they concealed themselves near the sho.-e until
night, and, having secretly procured a few dry muskets
and some ammunition from a Pomeranian officer, they
took the town by a midnight assault, and maintained
themselves, fighting and skirmishing with the enemy,
until Colonel Hepburn arrived with his regiment to
their relief.*

A Swedish army of eight thousand men was soon
afterwards assembled near Rugenwald, and Colonel
Hepburn's Regiment, having been relieved from garri-
son duty, advanced to Colberg, and was engaged in the
blockade of the town ; a detachment of the regiment was
also sharply engaged with a body of Imperialists which
was advancing to relieve the place, but was defeated.!

During the winter the regiment marched to the vici- 1631
nity of Stettin, the capital of Pomerania : it was subse-
quently employed in several operations ; and in March,
1631, it was encamped at Schwedt, in the province of
Brandenburg, where it was formed in brigade with three
other Scots regiments, viz. — Mackay's, Lumsdell's, and
Stargate's. This brigade was commanded by Colonel
Hepburn, whose regiment took the right, and was de-
signated Hepburn's Scots Brigade or the Green
Brigade : other brigades were also formed and designated
the Yellow Brigade, the Blue Brigade, and the fVhite
Brigade J

* Monro's expedition ; and Harte's Life of Gustavus Adol-
phus.

" He maintained iiis post for nine weeks, repulsing every at-
" tempt to retake it, till he was relieved by a Scotch regiment
*« (tha Royals) under Colonel Hepburn, and a body of Swedish
'* troops."— Genera; David Stewart's History of the Highland
Regiments, published in 1822.

t Swedish Intelligencer. % Monro's Expedition.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

III

1631 Advancing from Schwedt on the 24th of March, the
regiment proceeded with the main army, commanded by
Gustavus in person, to Frankfort on the Oder, and was
employed in the attack on the town. The army arrived
before the town during the afternoon preceding Palm
Sunday, and the regiment was posted opposite Guben-
gate. On the following day, after divine service had
been twice performed, the King sent Captain Guntier of
the regiment, with a serjeant and twelve private men, to
ascertain if a body of troops could be lodged between the
outer and inner walls ; and this little party having, with
fine courage, waded the ditch and ascended the mud
wall, gained the required information, and returned
without sustaining any loss ; the King immediately after-
wards commanded the town to be attacked by storm ;
Hepburn's Scots Brigade was ordered to commence
the assault, and a select body of pikemen, with Sir John
Hepburn at their head, took the lead in this splendid
enterprise.

The fascines and scaling ladders being ready, the
King called Colonels Hepburn and Lumsdell, and
said. My valiant Scots, remember your countrymen slain
at Old Brandenburg.* The next moment the cannon
fired a. volley, and the storming party rushing through
the smoke instantly attacked the town. Colonel Hep-
burn and his gallant pikemen waded the ditch, in doing
which they were waist deep in mud and water, and car-
ried the outer wall in gallant style. The enemy fled
from the wall towards a great sallyport, followed by
Hepburn and his valiant pikemen in full career ; but
when within a few paces of the port, Hepburn was
wounded in the leg and forced to halt ; his pl-^^^e was

* The Imperialists had previously enacted a cruel tr, jdy on a
party of Scots at Old Brandenburg.

«'

BEOIMENT OF FOOT.

instantly supplied by the Major of his regiment, who 1631
was shot dead the next moment; many of the pike-
men also fell, and the remainder shrank back before the
tempest of bullets which assailed them. But in a few
moments the pikemen, led by Colonel Lumsdell and
Lieutenant-Colonel Monro, returned to the charge, and
forced the sallyport ; the enemy, being confounded by the
fury of the onset, omitted to let down the portcullis.
Having gained the streets, the pikemen formed up, and
a division of musketeers formed on each flank ; the mus-
keteers opened their fire, the pikemen charged along the
street, and the enemy was routed, when a dreadful
slaughter ensued, for during the fury of the assault no
quarter was given. Lieutenant- Colonel Masten, with a
party of musketeers of Hepburn's Brigade, followed
the pikemen into the town, and joining in the charge,
augmented the confusion and slaughter of the enemy.
Meanwhile Major Jobi Sinclair and Lieutenant George
Heatly, with another party of fifty musketeers of Hep-
burn's Brigade, scaled the walls with ladders and drove
their opponents into the town ; but were immediately
afterwards charged by a troop of Imperial cuirassiers.
The brave Scots retire . few paces, and placing their
backs to the wall, kept up such a sharp fire that they
forced the cuirassiers to retreat.

While Hepbukn's Scots Brigade was thus carrying
all before it, the Yellow and Blue Brigades attacked
another part of the town, where they were warmly re-
ceived by an Irish Regiment in the Emperor's service,
and were twice repulsed. The Irish behaved t admi-
ration, but being eventually overpowered, nearly every
man was killed ; and their Colonel, Walter Butler, being
shot through the arm, and pierced through the thigh
with a pike, was taken prisoner.

The slaughter continued for some time. The Impe-

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1631 rialists beat a parley twice, but the noise and tumult of
the conflict was so great that the drum was not heard ;
and they eventually fled over the bridge, leaving nearly
two thousand men and fifty colours behind them, besides
stores, treasure, and much valuable property, which -fell
into the hands of the victors. Tlie leading division of
pikeraen of Hepburn's Brigade, which, after he was
wounded, was commanded by Colonel Lumsdell, captured
EIGHTEEN COLOURS, This officer highly distinguished
himself ; and after the town was taken, the King bid
him ask what he pleased and his request should be
granted.*

Frankfort being thus gallantly won, a Scots officer,
Major-General Lesley, was appointed governor of this
important acquisition ; and on the 5th of April, the King,
placing himself at the head of a select body of men from
each brigade, commanded by Colonel Hepburn, pro-
ceeded in the direction of Landsherg, and while on the
march, the advance guard defeated a regiment of Croa-
tians. On the 8th of April a strong fort in front of the
town was attacked. The King, having through the in-
vention of a floating-bridge, and the ingenuity of a black-
smith, surprised an out-guard and gained some advan-
tage, the fort surrendered, and the town soon afterwards
followed this example. It was a remarkable circumstance
that the garrison exceeded in numbers the besieging
army ; but the valour of Gustavus's troops, and the
high state of discipline which prevailed in his army,
enabled him to perform astonishing exploits, ('olonol
Hepburn and Lieutenant-Colonel Monro acquired great
credit by their conduct on this occasion.

After placing a garrison in Landsborg, the detachment

t Hartc's Lif'o of CfUstuviis Adolpliiis ; Monro's Expedition ;
and the Swedish Intelli^onccr.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

commenced its march on the 18th of April, back to Frank- 1631
fort; and Hepburn's Regiment proceeded soon after-
wards to the vicinity of Berlin. Attempts were made to
induce the Duke of Brandenburg to join with the Swedes,
and when persuasion proved unavailing, the city of
Berlin was invested. The Duke, alarmed at this hostile
proceeding, sent his Duchess and the ladies of the court
to entreat Gustavus to forbear ; but the Swedish monarch
proved inexorable, and the Duke of Brandenburg was
forced to comply.

In July the regiment proceeded to Old Brandenburg,
and on its arrival, a pestilential disease raging in the city,
the regiment was ordered to encamp in the fields. During
the same month the Marquis of Hamilton arrived in Ger-
many with six thousand British troops, which had been
raised for the service of the King of Sweden.

The regiment was subsequently engaged in several
operations- It encamped a short time near the banks of
the Elbe, in the vicinity of Werben, where an entrenched
camp was formed, which was attacked several times by
the Imperialists without success.

The Saxons at length united their force with the
Swedes ; at the same time the Imperialists, under the
Count de Tilly, invaded Saxony, and captured several
towns, including Leipsic. The Swedish and Saxon armies
advanced against the invaders, and this movement was
followed by the decisive battle of Leipsic, 'n which Colo N e i.
Hepburn's Regiment took an important part*

Having passed the night in order of battle, at
day-break, on the morning of the memorable 7tli of
September, 1G31, divine service was performed iu the

♦ In n list of Giistiivus's unny |)ublishc(l at tlu? time, in the
Mercurc Fnmquis, tlip n<niim'iit is stuU'<l lo have disjilttycd four
colours at the buttle of L(.'i|)aic.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1631 Swedish army, and the troops afterwards advanced
against the enemy. The Swedes took the right, and the
Saxons the left. The advance guard was composed of
three regiments, two Scots and one Dutch, led by three
Scots colonels ; and Hepburn's Scots Brigade formed
part of the reserve, which was commanded by Colonel
Hepburn. The engagement commenced about mid-day ;
and after a tremendous cannonade, the cavalry of both
armies advanced and engaged in a series of charges, in
which the Swedish and Finland horse had the advan-
tage ; and the King was enabled to change his position
so as to avoid the evil effects of a high wind and clouds
of dust which nearly blinded his soldiers. At length the
enemy attacked the Saxons on the left with grec. fury,
and drove them out of the field. The Imperialists then
directed their main force against the Swedes, and a de-
tachment from the Scots regiments highly distinguished
itself in a conflict with the enemy's cavalry.* During
the heat of the conflict Hepburn's Scots Brigade was
moved from the rear of the centre to the left flank, which
had become exposed by the flight of the Saxoos. Im-
mediate!} afterwards two columns of the enemy were
seen coming down upon the left of the Swedish army, and
the King ordered Hepburn's Scots Brigade to wheel

* " The King having noticed timt the Duke of Saxony was leaving
the field, and that Count Tilly was ready to charge his main body,
selected 2,000 musketeers of the brave Scots nation, and placed
2,000 horse on their flanks. The Scots formed themselves in
several bodies of six or seven hundreil each, with their ranks
three deep (the King of Sweden's di.xciplino being never to march
above six dcej) ;) the foremost rank falling on their knees, the
second stooping forward, and the third stan.'ing upright, and all
giving fire together, they poured, at one instant, so much lead
amongst the enemy's horse, that their ranks were broken, and tlie
Swedish horse charging, the enemy were rrMiled." — Arrmmt of tlw
bnttir of I^ipsif /mh/is/ui/ n( llir tinir

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

to the left and confront the enemy. Before this move-
ment was executed, the Imperialists were within musket
shot ; in a moment the artillery on both sides opened a
trem( ndous cannonade ; this was followed by two volleys
from the musketeers, and the next moment Hepburn's
pikemen went cheering to the charge with distinguished
bravery, and, breaking in upon the front of the first
column, drove it back with terrible confrision and
slaughter. Meanwhile Hepburn's right wing of mus-
keteers, commanded l)y Colonel Monro, fell with great
fiiry upon the enemy's troops which protected the car.non
and captured the guns. The slaughter would have been
great, but the ground where the battle was fought being
very dry, and newly ploughed, and the wind high, the
clouds of dust favoured the escape of the enemy.* When
Hepburn's Brigade was attacking the enemy's columns,
the Kin^ "^he Blue Brigade and a body of musketeers

to its ai iM ; but before the arrival of these rein-
forcements the Scots were triumphant. The Imperial
columns being broken, the Swedish horsemen pursued
the fugitives until dark and made great slaughter. Suc-
cess having attended the Swedish arms in other parts of
the field, the victory was complete ; but the conquerors
had the misfortune to lose their baggage, which was
plundered by their friends, the runaway Saxons.

The S'^ots gained great honour in this action, particu-
larly the brigade of which Hepburn's reghncnt formed
part. Colonel Monro, who commaiulod tiie right wing of
musketeers, writes — " The victory and credit of the day
*' was ascribed to our brigade ; we were thanked by his

♦ " Wc were as in a ilnrk clouil, not sooing the lialf of our actions,
" much less discerning either the way of our enemies, or the rest
*' of our hrigutles ; wliereu|)on, having ii «lriiinmer hy nio, I caused
" him to heat the Scots il/«/rA,tiil it cleared up, which re-coMected
" our friends unto us." — Monro's ErprditioH.

c 2

il:
1631

I ill

it >

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1631 " Majesty for our service in a public audience, and in
" view of the whole army, an ^ we were promised to be
" rewarded." In another place the same author observes
— " His Majesty did principally, under God, ascribe the
" glory of the viciory to the Swed ih and Finland horse-
" : M, who were led by the valorous Velt-Marshal
" iiome ; for though the Dutch horsemen did behave
" themselves valorously divers times that day, yet it was
" not their fortune to make the charge which did put the
" enemy to flight ; and though there were brave brigades
" of Swedes and Dutch in the field, yet it was the Scots
" brigades' fortune to g-'in the praise for the foot service,
" and not without cause, for they behaved themselves
" well, being led and conducted by an expert and fortu-
" nate cavalier, the valiant Hepburn."*

The pursuit was continued until the Imperial army
was literally cut to pieces, excepting a few regiments,
which, being favoured by the clouds of dust and smoke,
escaped. The Imperial camp was left standing, and the
Swedish troops passed the night in their enemy's tents.
The Imperial cannon, the greater part oi^ the baggage,
and many standards and colours, were captured by the
victorious Gustavus. Such were the results of the
famous battle of Leipsic, — the most important action
which had been fought for more than half a century,
— and where the regiment, which is now represented by
the First, or Royal Regiment, in the British line,
acquired great honour.

After passing the night on the field of battle the army
assembled in cohumi, and divine ser\ c wns again per-
formed ; afto»- which the King of Sweden addressed the
several regiments on the subject of their exploits on the

* \ionro's Expedition.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

preceding day, and again returned thanks to Hepburn's igsi
Scots Brigade for its distinguished gallantry.* From
the field of battle the army advanced to Leipsic, and in-
vested the town, but the recapturing of this place was
left to the Saxons. Meanwhile part of Hepburn's
Brigade proceeded to Halle, and captured the town
and castle on the 11th of September. While the army
lay near this place several protestant Princes, with the
Elector of Saxony at their head, visited the King, on
which occasion his Majesty passed many encomiums on
the Scottish nation, and beckoning to Colonel Hepburn,
who stood in another part of the room, recommended
him, Lumsdell, and Monro, to the Elector's more im-
mediate notice, f

From Halle the brigade marcht 1 to Erfurt, in the
famous forest of Thuringia, and was afterwards destined
to take part in the reduction of the Circle of Franconia.
From Erfurt the brigade advanced, with other troops,
through the forest of Thuringia, — proceeded a distance
of one hundred and eleven miles along difficult roads,
and took by capitulation six large towns, in the short

* '' His Majesty, acconipunied by a great and honourable train
of cavaliers, alighted from his horse at the head of our brigade ;
the ofReers coming together about his Majesty in a ring, his
Majesty made a speech of commendation of the brigade, thank-
ing them for their good service, and exhorting them to the con-
tinuation thereof, promised he would not forget to reward them ;
and turning towards the superior officers, they did kiss his
Majesty's hand ; the inferior officers and soldiers crying aloud,
they hoped to do his Majesty better service than ^ever they had
done . ' ' — Monro's Expidition .

" Uis Majesty bestowed particular encomiums on the Swedish
"and Finland hur^^e, conducted by Home ; as also on that brave
" body (if Sfottisii iiil'uiitry wliich Hepburn commanded."—
— Harte's Lije oj (Justnvus Ado/p/iun.

t 11 arte.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

S.i

1631 period of eight days. Having arrived at Wurtzburg,
the town soon surrendered ; but a strong castle, called
Marienherg, standing on an eminence on the other side
of the river Maine, being garrisoned by a thousand men,
well provided with every means of defence, held out
against the Swedish arms, and the Scots were selected to
commence operations against this place. The approach
was hazardous beyond description ; one arch of the
bridge was blown up, and the batteries raked the bridge
from one end to the other. A few daring Scots mus-
keteers, however, passed the river in small boats on the
5th of October, and, leaping on shore in the face of a
sharp fire, were soon warmly engaged. A plank had, in
the meantime, been laid across the broken arch of the
bridge, and a number of veteran Scots running across
one after another, joined their companions in the fight,
and a lodgment was effected beyond the river, and some
advantage gained. The castle was afterwards taken by
storm ; and this having been deemed an impregnable
fortress, it was found well stored with corn, wine, ammu-
nition, and treasure ; and small arms were found for
seven thousand men.

While the brigade lay at Wurtzburg, the King sent
out so many detachments that he had only about ten
thousand men at head-quarters, and an army of fifty
thousand men, commanded by the Duke of Lorraine, ad-
vanced against him. J lis Majesty having received in-
formation that the enemy designed to pass the Maine at
Oxenford and attack him, the King proceeded, on the
same evening, after dark, to the quarters of Hep-
burn's Scots Brigade, and commanded the men to as-
semble under arms immediately. Having selected eight
hundred musketeers, his Majesty commanded them to
follow him, while the pikonu-n and coloura remained

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

behind. The musketeers, being led by Brigadier- i63i
General Hepburn, and accompanied by eighty Swedish
horsemen, continued their march throughout the night,
and at two o'clock on the following morning arrived at
Oxenford, and formed up in the market-place, while
fifty of the horsemen advanced to observe the motions of
the enemy. Soon afterwards the report of pistols was
heard, when his Majesty sent out a lieutenant and fifty
musketeers to skirmish and to cover the retreat of the
horse, which service was '^gallantly performed. The
enemy, however, proved too numerous, and the fifty
musketeers were forced to retire, when the King sent a
hundred musketeers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Monro,
to restore the fight, and they drove back a superior body
of the Imperialists, for which they were applauded by
the King. These few Scots having thus frustrated the
designs of the enemy, his Majesty returned to Wurtz-
burg, leaving Hepburn, with his musketeers, to de-
fend the place ; and this excellent officer made such a
formidable disposition of his men, and kept so good a
countenance, that, although the enemy advanced with
his army up to the town with drums beating and
colours flying, as though he was about to storm the
place, yet he afterwards retired. The musketeers,
having thus boldly confronted a large army and main-
tained their post, were afterwards [ordered to return to
Wurtzburg.

On the 7th of November Hepburn's Scots Bri-
gade, or the Green Brigade, advanced with the army
towards Frankfort on the Maine, a place celebrated
throughout Europe for its aimual fairs ; and while tra-
versing the rich plains and beautiful scenery of one
of the most fruitful j)art8 of Germany, several strong
towns surrendered to the army. I'lie brigade crossed

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1 1

1631 the Maine at AschafFenberg, on the 14th 'of November,
and arrived at Frankfort on the 16th, when the city
surrendered.

In the early part of December Hepburn's or the
Green, and the Blue brigades, were employed in the
siege of a strong fort near Oppenheim, and while per-
forming this service, these hardy veterans were encamped
in the midst of a deep snow. The enemy made a sally
in the night, but were repulsed by the Scots pikemen,
and on the following morning the fort surrendered. The
two brigades afterwards attacked a fort, and also the
castle belonging to the town. A. party of gallant Scots
having stormed the wall between the outward fort and
castle, they fomid the drawbridge down, and, forcing an
entrance into the castle, they put the Spanish garrison to
the sword ; at the same time another party stormed the
fort with such fury that nine companies of Italians were
soon overpowered and forced to surrender. These
Italians afterwards engaged in the Swedish service, and
were attached to the Green Brigade ; but they all de-
serted during the following summer. The King having
passed the Rhine with part of his army to attack the
town on the other side, the place surrendered.

Notwithstanding the severity of the season, the King
resolved to continue operations, and one Sunday after-
noon, in the early part of December, in tempestuous
weather, with frost and snow, the army appeared before
Mentz. Hepburn's Scots,* or the Green Brigade,
took its post before the town ; and the men having prepared

* " The foot brigades were commanded to their several posts.
*' Colonel Hepburn's brigade (according to custom) was directed
" to the most dangerous ])osf, next the eneni} , and the rest to
*' theirs. The night coming on, we began our approaches, and
" prepared for making ready our attacks, when certain men were

REGIMENT OF FOOT. fp

the batteries during the night, the fire of the cannon 1631
commenced at day-break with such fury that the besieged
were dismayed, and they surrendered in the middle of
December. The brigade was afterwards placed in gar-
rison in the town, where it continued during the re-
mainder of the winter.

During the preceding campaign, several additional 1632
regiments arrived in Germany from Scotland, namely,
Sir James LumstleU's, the Master of Forbes', Sir Fre-
derick Hamilton's, and Colonel Monro's ; also Colonel
Austin's English regiment ; recruits also arrived for the
old regiments ; and in the beginning of 1632 there
appear to have been thirteen Scots regiments and five
English regiments in the service of the King of Sweden.
There were also two Scots generals, three major-generals,
three brigadier-generals, twenty-seven colonels, fifty-one
lieutenant-colonels, and fourteen Scots majors,* in the
Swedish army : and the First, or Royal, Regiment of
Foot, in the British line, being the only one of these
eighteen British regiments which has continued to exist
to the present time, it is the representative of the whole
of this gallant force.

Hepburn's veterans remained in garrison at Mentz,
recruiting in vigour and in numbers, until the beginning
of March, 1632, when they proceeded to Frankfort on

" ordered to make cunnuii baskets, sonic to provide inaterialst
*• some to watch, some to dig, some to guard the artillery, some to
" guard the, workmen, and some to guard the colours before the
" brigade. The day approaching, we having made ready the
" batteries in the night, the service on both sides beginneth with
" cannon and musket." — Monro's Hrpedition.

* Monro gives the name of every liritish oHiccr above the rank
of Captiiin in the Swedisii army. Many Scots officers had been
promoted to tlie command of Swedish, Finland, and Dutch regi-
ments.

' :

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1632 the Maine, ,and, advancing from thence to Aschaffen-
berg, were reviewed in the fields before the town on the
6th of March, by the King of Sweden. From Aschaffen-
berg the brigade continued its march to Weinsheim,
where it was reviewed by the Elector Palatine, who
complimented this distinguished body of Scots on the
high character it had acquired for deeds of valour.

After this review the brigade advanced with the army
to invade Bavaria, and on the 26th of March it appeared
before Donaiverth on the Danube, when the King posted
part of the troops on the heights above the town. On
the following day, a battery having been constructed to
command the bridge, the enemy made a furious sally*
and, having driven back some Swedish troops, captured
the guns ; but a number of Hepburn's veterans rushing
forward sword in hand, the Bavarians were repulsed and
driven back into the town. During the night, Sir John
Hepburn marched his brigade with great silence five
miles up the Wernitz, and having crossed the river, re-
turned by the opposite bank to an angle which com-
manded the bridge over the Danube, where he posted his
musketeers behind garden-walls and hedges, and formed
the pikemen into three bodies under the cover of the
enclosures. At day-break the enemy's garrison attempted
to force its way through the besieging army; eight
hundred musketeers rushed suddenly out of the town
towards the bridge where Hepburn's men were posted,
when the Scots musketeers opened a destructive fire, and
before the smoke had cleared away, the pikemen came
cheering forward to the charge, while the musketeers
drew their swords and joined in the attack, and the
enemy's column was broken and cut to pieces. Many of
the Bavarians fled towards the town ; Hepburn's veterans,
following in full career, entered the town with the fugi-

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

tives, and made great slaughter in the streets. Mean- 1532
while, the enemy's troops, which sallied on the other side
of the town, were also nearly all destroyed. The
governor escaped, but he saved only a small portion of
his garrison. Thus Donawerth was captured in forty-
eight hours after the army appeared before the town ;
and in this exploit the gallant veterans under Sir John
Hepburn acquired new laurels.*

This success enabled the King to penetrate into Bava-
ria ; and in the early part of April Hepburn's Brigade
took part in the brilliant enterprise of forcing the passage
of the river Lech in the face of a superior army, and the
success which attended this daring exploit alarmed one
half of Europe, and astonished the other.

The brigade was afterwards engaged in the siege of
Augsburg, which place capitulated on the 10th of April.
From Augsburg the brigade proceeded with the army to
Ingoldstadty and, being engaged in the siege of this town,
it had one very trying night's service : the King, ex-
pecting a sally from the garrison, ordered Hepburn's
veterans to stand all night under arms on some high
ground near the town; the enemy kept up a constant
fire against the brigade with dreadful execution, and the
men had to stand like targets to be shot at, without the
power of making resistance. "To my mind," observes
the brave Colonel Monro, " it was the longest night in
" the year, though in April, for at one shot X lost twelve

• *' Here also we see the valour of Hepburn and his brigade
*' praiseworthy, being, first and last, the instruments of the
" enemy's overthrow." — Monro's Expedition.

" The King returned Hepburn public thanks for suggesting
" the idea of crossing the Wernitz, and for executing his plan
" with such judgement and valour." — Hartes Lije of Gmtavus
Adolplms.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

i: I

1632 " men of my own company." The first attack not suc-
ceeding, the King raised the siege and retired.

After quitting the precincts of Ingoldstadt, the brigade
was detached against Landshut^ a pretty little town with
a castle, in Bavaria, which place surrendered on the 29th
of April.

Having completed this conquest, the brigade proceeded
to Freysingen, where it rejoined the main army, and
advanced from thence to Munich. This celebrated city
surrendered immediately, and the King being desirous of
preserving it from plunder, he made a present of about
five shillings English to every soldier in the army, and
posted Hepburn's Scots Buigade at the bridge to pre-
vent the ingress of stragglers. The army was afterwards
encamped without the town, excepting the old Scots
brigade, which entered the city with the King, and
Hepburn's own regiment furnished the guard at the
market-place, while the remainder of the brigade fur-
nished the King's guard at the castle. As no other
brigade was admitted into Munich, this circumstance
proves the high estimation in which this old Scots
corps was held. Its commander. Brigadier- General
Hepburn, was appointed governor of Munich.

Leaving this city on the 1st of June, the brigade again
directed its march towards Donawerth, where it arrived
on the 4th. It subsequently marched to the relief of
Weissemherg, which was besieged by the enemy ; but
the garrison surrendered before the troops marching for
its relief arrived. The brigade then continued its
march to Furt, where an encampment was formed. It
was afterwards employed in several operations of a de-
fensive character. The King having to defend Nuren-
berg, and to confront an army of 60,000 men with only

RKOIMENT OF FOOT.

20,000, his Majesty formed an entrenched camp round 1632
the city, where the hrigade was stationed some time.

The enemy's army, commanded by the Duke of
Bavaria and Count Walstein, appeared before Nuren-
berg, and by means of their immense superiority of
numbers endeavoured to cut off the supplies of provision
from the Swedish army, but were unable to accomplish
their object. The opposing armies lay watching each
other's movements until the 21st of August, when, rein-
forcements having arrived for the Swedes, the King
attacked the enemy's fortified camp ; the old S ots
Brigade was sharply engaged in the attack of the heights
of Altenberg, and in the attempt on Altenterg Castle, in
which service it lost many officers and men; but the
attack failed at every point. The King afterwards
formed a fortified camp within cannon shot of the enemy,
and the two armies confronted each other until the 8th of
September, when his Majesty retired, and five hundred
musketeers of the old Scots Brigade, commanded by Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Sinclair, covered the retreat to Neustadt.
A few days afterv.\?rds, the Marquis of Hamilton being
about to return to England, Brigadier-General Hepburn
obtained permission to accompany him, and the regiment
was left under the command of the Lieutenant- Colonel.
When the gallant Hepburn and several other officers
took leave of their companions in arms, Monr^ informs
ns that "the separation was like the separatit) » which
•' death makes betwixt friends and the soul of man,
" being sorry that those who had lived so long together
" in amity and friendship, also in mutual dangers, in
" weal and in woe, the splendour of our former mirth
" was overshadowed with a cloud of grief and sorrows,
" v^hich dissolved in mutual tears."

The brigade was now commanded by Colonel Monro,

THK KIRST, OR ROYAL

1632 and towards the end of September it marched to the
relief of Rayn, which was besieged by the enemy ; but this
garrison also surrendered before the troops marching to
its relief arrived. The King, however, resolved to retake
the town, end having arrived before the walls on the 3rd
of October, he took advantage of a thick fog, and brought
his cannon to bear upon the works unperceived, when
the garrison immediately surrendered.

The brigade being much exhausted and decreased in
numbers from its recent hard services, it was placed in
quarters of refreshment in Bavaria, while the King
marched with part of the army into Saxony. Before his
departure, his Majesty expressed his approbation of the
conduct of these veteran Scots on all occasions, and ex-
horted the commanding officers to use every possible
expedition in replacing the casualties in the ranks of their
respective regiments ; but this proved the final separation
between the great Gustavus Adolphus and these distin-
guished regiments ; his Majesty marched to Saxony, and
was killed at the battle of Liitzen,* which was fought on
the f)th of November, 1G32.
After the death of the King of Swedenf the old Scots

* In some accounts of the battle of Liitzen the Green Bri(jac/«,
of which Hepburn's regiment formed a part, is mentioned by
mistake amongst the troops engaged, instead of the White
Brigade. As Colonel Monro commanded the brigade at the
time the battle was fought, his narrative is considered sufTicicnt
authority for stating that it was not present.

t Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden was born on the 9th
of December, 1594. He learnt the duty of a nuisketeer as soon
as ho could carry a musket ; and when seventeen years of age
he was Colonel of a Cavalry corps, and served a campaign
against the Dunes. In the same year (Kill) his father died, and
the young (Itistavus succeeded to the throne -if Sweden ; and ho
soon afterwanls evinced, to the surprise of all Europe, the most
<li8tinguished abilities as a commander, a hero, and u politician.
The discipline which he introduced into his army wan wtricf

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

Brigade served for a short time under the Elector 1632
Palatine, and was employed in the siege and capture of
Landsberff, a town of Upper Bavaria on the Lech ; and
while before this place a dispute about precedence arose
between this and another (Ruthven's) brigade : *' But,"
observes Colonel Monro, " those of Ruthven's Brigade
" were forced, notwithstanding theii* diligence, to yield the
*' precedence unto us, being older blades than themselves,
" for in effect we were their schoolmasters in discipline,
" as they could not but acknowledge."

When the capture of Landsberg was effected, the
old Scots Brigade marched to the relief of Rayn, which
was closely beset by the Bavarians, who raised the siege
on the approach of the Scots, and retired into Saxony.

From Rayn the brigade marched to the vicinity of the

beyond all precedent, and to this many of his victories may be
attributed. His improvements in arms, equipment, and in mili-
tary tactics, were particularly important ; and he was bravo even
to rashness, lie was wounded in action on six different occa-
sions, had three horses killed under him, and was several times
in the power of the enemy, but was rescued by his own men. On
the fatal 6th of November, 1632, he fought sword in hand at the
head of the Smoland cavalry, and was shot through the left arm,
but continued fifyhting until his voice and strength failed from loss
of blood, when he attempted to retire. At that instant an lm|)e-
rial cavalier came pallo[)ing forward, and, crying " Lotiff fiave I
sought thie" shot the K ing through the body ; and the next
moment one of his Majesty's attendants shot the cavalier dead
on the spot. As the King and his attendants were retiring, they
were charged by a troop of cuirassiers ; his Majesty was held
for a few moniinits on the saddle, but his horse, being shot in the
shoulder, made a desperate |»linige, and throw the rider to the
ground. After liis fall the King received five wounds in different
parts of his body, and was ?hot through the head. Thus fell the
brave (lustavus, the most distinguislied warrior of his age ; with
whose life the early services of llErniRN'.s regiment, now repre-
sented by the First, oh Hovai, Hkcjimknt of Foot, are inti-
niately connecled.

\ k

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1632 ancient city of Augsburg, where the men lay two months
of extreme cold weather in the open fields ; the loss of
the great Gustavus Adolphus was now seriously experi-
enced, the generals were indecisive, and operations were
suspended.

1633 But in February, 1633, the brigade was again called
into action. It proceeded, in the first instance, to Ulm,
a considerable town on the banks of the Danube, and
from thence towards Memminyen, to attack a division of
the enemy stationed in the town ; but, having halted at
some hamlets within three miles of the place, the houses
took fire in the night, and the brigade lost much bag-
gage, and saved its cannon and ammunition with diffi-
culty. This misfortune did not, however, prevent the
troops fr^^m marching against their adversaries, who
after some sharp skirmishing, retired.

Soon afterwards the brigade proceeded to Kaufbeuren,
a small town on the Wertach, and having invested the
place, the garrison held out two days, and then surren-
dered. Having refreshed the men with three days' rest
at Kaufbeuren, the brigade marched with ; i-r^ of the
army towards the Iller, and, having passed the river by a
temporary bridge, besieged Kempton (the ancient Cam-
podunum). But while the brigade lay before the town,
it was suddenly ordered to proceed by forced marches to
the Duchy of Wirtemborg.

Having been recalled from Wirtemberg, the brigade
proceeded to Donawerth on the Danube, where it w«s
stationed dm ig a great part of the summer ; wiiile a
conventi(m of the l*rote8tant princes of Germany was
held at Hoilbronn. The pay of the troops being u long
time in arrear, they resolved not to engage in any furtluM*
operations until their arrears were paid Thus disorder

UEOIMENT OF FOOT.

and confusion found its way into the Swedish array, and 1633
the Scots regiments were no longer recruited with the
same facility as formerly.

The old Scots Brigade, however, continued at its post 1634
of duty, and it formed part of tije army, commanded by
Marshal Horn and the Duke of Saxe-Woimar, which
advanced to the relief of Nordlingen ; and this move-
ment brought on a general engagement, which was fought
in the vicinity of the town on the 26th of August, 1634,
when the confederates were defeated, and the Scots Bri-
gade suffered so severely, that one of the regiments
(Monro's) was reduced a few days afterwards to one
company.* After the battle, the wreck of this distin-
guished brigade retreated to Worms, a town situate on
the left bank of the Rhine ; and, Marshal Horn having
been taken prisoner, t) j veteran Scots were under the
orders of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar.

The loss of the battle of NorcUinyen almost ruined the
protestant interest in Germany, but soon afterwards the
court of France agreed to support this depressed and
declining cause. The prospect of immediate succours
from France allayed the consternation which prevailed
amongst the confederate princes. A French army ap-
proached the Rhine, and several towns in Alsace admitted
French garrisons.

In the French army which thus approached the Rhine,
the celebrated Sik John HKPnuRN appeared at the head
of a Scots regiment in the French service. When this
officer quitted Germany in 1632 (as before stated), he
was not satisfied with the manner in which the Swcdis^h
nIfUirs were conducted : on his arrival in Englaii<l he
was knighted ; in the following year he tendered his ser-

* Monro's Exiicditioii.

THE FIRST, OH ROYAL

1634 vices to Louis XIII. ; and a regiment having been con-
stituted of the old Scots companies and some newly-raised
men, he was appointed its Colonel, by commission dated
the 26th of January, 1633. He served in 1634 with the
French army,* com^ianded by Marshal de la Force.
During the summer he was engaged in the siege of La
Motte (or La Mt^die). which place surrendered on the
26th of July ; and Hepburn's Regiment lost one captain
and several men in this service. On the 19th of December,
Sir John Hepburn passed the Rhine with his own and
six other regiments of infantry, seven comets (or troops)
of cavalry, and a train of artillery, and took post at
Manheim, from whence he sent forward parties to recon-
noitre the enemy. The remainder of the French army
afterwards passed the Rhine, and Sir John Hepburn
marched to the relief of Heidelberg^ an ancient city
situ^kte on the river Neckar, at the foot of the mountain
called the Giesberg. This city was besieged by the Im-
perialists, and defended by the Swedes. After some
sharp fighting, in which Sir John Hepburn distinguished
himself, the besieging army retreated, and the city was
delivered to the French on the 23rd of December.

1635 After this success, part of the French army marched
to Landau, and formed a junction with the Swedish
forces imder the Duke of Saxo-Weimar, which had
escaped after the defeat at Nordlingen. Thus the re-
maining few veterans of Hepburn's Scots Regiment in
the Swedish service^ and Hepburn's Scots Regiment in

'■I '

• In the Mercure Francois ami other French works ho is
called Colonel Hebron and Lc Chevalier d Hebron; Pcro Daniel,
the French historian, gives the following reason lor this change —
*' On Tappclloit en Franco ' lc Chevalier d'Hefnon,' son nom
" d'Hepbum etant difficile h prononcer."

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

the F', ench service^ were brought into contact to fight 1635
together in the same cause, and the two regiments appear
to have been incorporated into one. This union would,
doubtless, prove agreeable to both corps ; the veterans in
the Swedish service had long been without pay, and the
strongest attachment existed between them and their
former leader, Sir John Hepburn, who had been their
companion in toil, in danger, and in victory ; and this
union of the two corps placed them again under their
favourite commander : at the same time, Hepburn's regi -
ment in the French service was already much decreased
in numbers from a long campaign, and the addition of
these renowned veterans would prove a valuable acquisi-
tion. Thus Hepburn's Regiments, or Le Regiment
d^ Hebron in the Swedish service, and Le Regiment
d' Hebron in the French service (for the French histo-
rians use the same title for both regiments), appear to have
become one corps in 1635 ; and there is reason to believe
that the remains of several other Scots corps in the
Swedish service were added to Hepburn's Regiment, as
its establishment, two years afterwards, is stated to have
amounted to the extraordinary number of 8316 officers
and soldiers,* There appear also to have been two other
Scots regimenia in the French service in 1635, namely.
Colonel Loii! y's and Colonel Ramsay's, besides the Scots
Gardes du Corps and Gendarmes spoken of at the
beginning of this Memoir.

HfiPbURN's RioiiMENT sci'v .d during the campaign of
1635 with the French army in Germany, commanded

• This transfer of men from tlie service Oi" tiie Crown of Sweden
to that of Franco was not peculiar to Hepburn's veterans ; tMt
tlic G"rman and Swedish forces which, after the defeat at Nord-
lingcn. reti'cated, under the Duite of Saxc-Weimar, towards the
Uhinc, wore nearly all taken into the pay of France.

t;?iit]

THK FIRST, OR ROYAL

1635 by the Cardinal de la Valette ; and the remains of the
Swedish array, which had escaped after the defeat at
Nordlingen in 1634, continued to co-operate with tho
French, and were couimanded, under the Carduial, by
the Duke of Saxe-\A';imar. Little advantage, hcwe 'i!',
accrued from ]^ lacing an ecclesiastical dignitary at the
head of the army. The supplic- of provision were inter-
cepted by the Germans, the French troops vere rerfaced
to the necessity of sdbsistirig on rofji * gathered about the
villages, and the horsos were fed on the loaves of trees.
At length the nrmy, after '/urying itJ cannon and de-
stroying its bagi^age, retreated through iMouutaiHous
parts "'the country; the Hermans followed ajKlattacLod
the rear ; n;:;>i}URN'.s Regiment was sharply engaged
amongst i.'.i* ■'lountains ; and the Imperialists were severely
punifhed ior lueir t(:;inex*ity in a sharp action in September,
near Mrfz.*

1636 During the summer of 1636 Hepburn's Ivwgiment
t;( rved with the army commanded by the Duke of Saxe-
Wi'iraar, and in the month of May it appeared before
Sai'irne, a town of Alsace, situated on the banks of the
river Sarre, which was defended by an Imperial garrison
commanded by Colonel Mulhein. The siege of this
place was immediately commenced, and the garrison made
a desperate resistance. A breach having been effected,
three assaults were made on the 20th of June, and were
repulsed with great loss. On the following day the bat-
teries against the town opened their fire with greater fury
than before, ana during the progress of the siege the
gallant Sir John Hepburn f was shot in the neck, ard

* Mcrcurc Frun^oise ; Anderson's History of tho "'.li^'n of
Louis Xlll. ; and the Complrte History of Europe.

f "The most deploruiji'- "• ck'cut \\»\8 the death of a.- *■ ultish
" Colonel Ilcphtnn, who, with his usual coolnCj. surv^. uig the

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

died, regretted, not only by hia old companions in arms, 1636
but also by the court of France, where his valour and
abilities were well known and appreciated. After holding
out a few days longer the garrison surrendered; and
Louis XIII. conferred the vacant Colonelcy of the regi-
ment on Lieutenant- Colonel James Hepburn, whose
name appears amongst the Scots lieutenant-colonels in
the service of the King of Sweden in 1632.

The regiment appears to have continued to serve in 1637
Alsace, under the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, whose army
consisted of French, Scots, Swedes, and Germans, in the
pay of France ; and during the year 1 637 it was engaged
in several skirmishes with the Imperialists, but no con-
siderable action was performed by either side.

This year Colonel James Hepburn was killed, and he
was succeeded in the command of the regiment by Lord
James Douglas, second son of William, first Marquis of
Douglas. From this period the regiment was known in
France by the title of Le Regiment tie Douglas*

While the regiment was in Alsace, Picardy was in-
vaded by the Spaniards, and in 1637 this corps of hardy
Scots appears to have been withdrawn from the army
commanded by the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and stationed
near the frontiers of Picardy.

In the spring of 1G38 it was placed under the command 1638

" brcaoh, received a ball in his neck, and died, extremely re-
" grettcd in the army, and by the Court of France." — Anderson's
History of France, vol. v. p. 1)0.

" Le combat fut fort opiniastrti en ccste prise, et do telle fa9on ;
" que Ic Colonel Hebron Escossois, y fut tu6 d'une ■mougquetade
•' dans le tol, qui luy ^.'-'nit dans los reins, ayant laiss6 uuo rc-
" putation digno de sa valvar, iidelitc, et experience au fait dc la
" guerre/" — Mercure Francois, tum. xxi. p. 277.

The folio /ving return of the establishment of the regiincnt in

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

■fVr'>

1638 of the Marshal de Chastillon, for the purpose of pene-
trating into the Earldom of Artois, which at this period
formed part of the Spanish Netherlands.

The army having been assembled near Amiens, passed
the Somme on the 18th of May, 1638 ; Douglas' Regi-
ment, forming part of the division under Lieutenant-
General Hallier, passed the river at Abbeville, marched
from thence to Doullens, and, after taking part in the
capture of several small forts, was engaged in the siege
of St. Omer, a place of great strength, and provided
with a good garrison. The trenches were opened on the
night between the 29th and 30th of June. On the 12th
of July three hundred of the garrison issued out of the
town to attack the men in +he trenches, and encountering
a party of Douglas' Sf c :■■., a !?rce combat ensued, and
the Spaniards were dri oi baci; a ith the loss of many
men killed and taken prisi/jcri< ; tae enemy also lost a

1637 was procn ed by its Colonel, General Lord Adam Gordon,
who died in 1801 :—

Colonel (Lord James Douglas)

Licutcnant-Colonel (Colonel Monro)

Major (Sir Patrick Monteith) .

Captains ( , #

Captain-Lieutenant

Lieutenants .

Ensigns .

Surgeons

Adjutants

Chaplains

i)riim Major

Piper

Sergeants

Cwporals

Lance- Parade

Drummers

48 Companies of 160 Privafx-?" each

4
6

2
I

288

7200

Total

8316

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

strong post which they had held until that time.* A 1638
Spanish force, however, advanced to the relief of the
garrison, and having succeeded in throwing succours into
the town, the siege was raised by the French.

After quitting the vicinity of St. Omer, the regiment
was engaged in the siege of Renty^ a small town on the
river Aa. The army appeared before this place on the
1st of August, and on the 9th the garrison surrendered.

The next service in which the troops were employed
was the siege of Catelety a town of Picardy, which the
Spaniards had captured in 1636 ; and this place was
taken by storm on the 14th of September.

Having passed the winter in quarters in Picardy, 1639
Douglas' Regiment marched in the early part of May,
1639, to the rendezvous of the army at DouUens, and
served this year against the Spaniards, forming part of
the army commanded by General Meilleraie. The French
commander marched first towards Aire, but after recon-
noiieni:g the defences of this place, he proceeded to
Hesdin, — a town situated amongst marshes on the little
river Canche, where he arrived on the 19th <if May, and
commenced the siege of the place with 'xreai vigour.
Louis XIII. visited the camp, that his projence might
animate the soldiers in their attacks ; an J., the garrison
having surrendered on the 29th of June, the King wau
so well pleased with the manner in which this siege had
been conducted, that he presented General Meilleraie
with the baton of a Marshal of France ; the ceremony
was performed in the breach he had made in the fortress,
and the King commanded Te Deum to be sung in the
principal church of the town i

* Morcuio Francois.

t In a plan of ihe siege of Ilesdin, nublished at Paris in 1639,
Douglas' Srotx • giment appears Ir.!,. vl in brigade with tho
Regiment of I r.v,-i)r^'ygne.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1639 After repairing the works, the army advanced against
the Spanish forces under the Marquis de Fuentes ; and
Douglas' Regiment took part in a sharp skirmish near
the village of St. Nlch^lusi on which occasion four pieces
of cannon were captured jm the Spaniards.

The reginont continued to take part in the military
operations ae^amst the Spaniards. Meanwhile Scotland
was vic'p.Jtly agitated by an attempt made by King

1640 Charles L to introduce the English ''-^ "gy. This was
followed by an unfortunate misunderstanding between

1641 the King and his Parliament in England, which produced

1642 a r'vW war; but, in the scenes of slaughter and devasta-
tion which followed, this regiment did not take part.
It was in the service of Louis XITI. of France, who was
en.^aged in a war with Austria and Spain ; and the
French King had urgent occasion for the presence of the
three Scotb regiments* with his armies.

1643 While the civil war was raghig in England, Louis
XIIL died (1 4th May, 1643), and was succeeded by
iiis uis XIV., who was afterwards designated
Loins' le Grand; at the time of his accession he was
in his minority. Notwithstanding this event the war
was prosecuted with vigour, and the court of France
procured, in 1643, an additional regiment of foot from
Scotland, commanded by Colonel Andrew Rutherford, f
afterwards Earl of Teviot. Tins regiment was desig-
nated in France La Regiment des Gardes Escossois, or
thw Regiment of Scots Guards : bu^ the title was only
honorary, as it was never employed near the royal per-
son. The date of its formation has not been ascertained ;

* TLo tluvo Scots rcj.'!mt'iits ii: tlic >< rvicc oF France at this
period, are designated b_y tlie Frrnch historians, the regiments of
DoroLAs, C'hamhers, and Prashn.

+ Pere 1' . icl.

REGIMENT OF FOOT

but, as it was afterwards incorporated into Douglas' 1643
Regiment, now the First Royals, this corps is its
representative, and its services have a place in this
Memoir.

Immediately after the regiment of Scots Guards ar-
rived in France, it was ordered to advance to the relief
of Roucroy, a town of the Ardennes, which was besieged
by the Spaniards. The troops employed in this service
were commanded by Louis de Bourbon, Due d'Enghien,
who was afterwards celebrated for military achievements
under the title of Prince of Condd, or the Great Conde.
The Spaniards had a superiority of numbers : the two
armies engaged near Roucroy^ on the 19th of May, when
the French gained a decisive victory, and captured the
cannon, baggage, and many of the standards and colours
belonging to the Spaniards. Rutherford's Scots' Regi-
ment had the honor of taking part in this battle. It was
soon afterwards employed in the siege of Thionville, a
f^own situated on the river Moselle ; and had one cap-
.lin and four men killed, and one major and several
private men wounded in the attack of the counter-
scarp. This siege being prosecuted with vigour, the
town surrendered on the 10th of August, and the regi-
ment appears to have marched immediately afterwards
for Italy.

Meanwhile Douglas' Regiment had been removed
from the Netherlands and placed under the orders of
Prince Francis — Thomas of Savoy, who commanded the
French army in Italy; and, having been engaged in
several operations, it was employed in the autumn in the
siege of the city of Turin, in Piedmont, which place was
invested on the 14th of August. The Scots Regiment
of Guards also arrived in Piedmont in time to take part
in the siege, which was terminated on the 27th of Sep-

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1643 tember by the surrender of the city, when Douglas'
Regiment was placed in garrison.*

1644 Before the following campaign the regiment was,
however, removed from Piedmont to Picardy ; and pass-
ing from thence to the Netherlands, it served, in 1644,
under the Duke of Orleans, who held, during the minority
of Louis XIV., the title of Lieutenant-General to the
King. The army in the Netherlands was thiy year of
considerable magnitude, and Douglas' Regimen t formed
part of the division commanded by Marshal Meilleraie,t
and was engaged in the siege of Gravelinesy a town
situated on the river Aa, nine miles from Dunkirk.
The communication of Gravelines with the sea rendered
it a place of great importance to the Spaniards, who made
strenuous exertions for its preservation. Two sorties
were made by the garrison in the early part of July,
when Douglas' Regiment was sharply engaged, and
the enemy was repulsed. Every attempt made by the
Spaniards to relieve the place was defeated, and the town
surrendered on the 28th of July, 1644. This success
was followed by the capture of several forts, and places
of minor importance, near the sea.

1645 Wliile the Scots regiments in the service of France
were gaining laurels in Italy and Flanders, England con-
tinued the theatre of civil war, and many desperate en-
gagements were fought with varied success. At length
the King's army, after suffering a series of reverses, was

* Mercure Fran9ois; and Le Histoire Militaire de Louis le
Grand, par M. Le Marquis de Quincy.

t This division consisted of the following corps ; viz. : Tlie
French Guards, the Swiss Guards, the regiments of Picardy,
Douglas, La Meilleraie, Grancy, and Molondin. — Mercure
Francois.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

found unable to withstand the forces of the Parliament ; 1643
and a number of officers and soldiers, who had fought in
the royal cause, fled to France, and were taken into the
service of Louis XIV. Five English battalions were
formed, and added to the French army in Flanders; and, 1646
during the campaign of 1646, the British troops were
employed in the siege and capture of Courtray, a con-
siderable town on the river Lys ; and they afterwards
took a distinguished part in the siege of the city of Dun-
kirk, which surrendered to the French army on the 10th
of October, 1646.

The British troops continued to take part in the war 1647
in Flanders : and in 1648 a troop of Scots cuirassiers,
and the regiment of Scots Guards, had an opportunity
of distinguishing themselves at the battle of Lens,* in
Artois, under that distinguished commander the Prince
of Conde. This battle was fought on the 10th of August,
1648. The Spanish army, commanded by Archduke
Leopold, suflered a complete overthrow, and lost thirty-
eight pieces of cannon, and upwards of one hundred
standards and colours.

Soon after this victory an insurrection broke out in
Paris ; the court removed to Rouel, and afterwards to
St. Germain, and part of the army was recalled from
Flanders to besiege the capital, and to reduce the Parlia-
ment of Paris to obedience.

In this year (1648) a treaty was concluded at il/wMs^er, 1648
which restored peace to a great part of Europe, but the war
was continued between France and Spain, and the British
troops were continued in the service of France. Mean-

* Account of the battle of Lens, published at the time ; Life
of the Prince of Condd ; and Histoire Militaire de Louis le

Grand.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1649 while King Charles I. of England, having fallen into the
power of Cromwell, was beheaded at Whitehall Palace
on the 30th of January, 1649.

While these events were taking place in "ther parts of
Europe, Paris was besieged by the French army, of which
Douglas' Regiment continued to form a part ; but an
amicable arrangement between the Court and Parliament
took place in the spring of 1649. This was, however,
followed by insurrections in several of the provinces, and
the Spanish commanders, availing themselves of the dis-
tracted state of France, recaptured several places in the
Netherlands.

Wliile France was disturbed with internal commotions,
three hundred veteran Scots, who had been left in gar-
rison at Ypres in West Flanders, were engaged in the
defence of that place against the Spaniards, and, after a
gallant resistance, were eventually forced to surrender ;
but obtained honourable conditions, and marched out on
the 6th of May, 1649, with drums beating and colours
flying.

1650 The commotions in France occasioned a decrease in
the revenues of Louis XIV., and Douglas' veterans,
with the other Scots regiments in the French service,
could not procure their pay. Meanwhile, King (>harlc8
II., who had been an exile on the continent for some
time, was entering into a treaty, called the Covenant, with
the Scots, through whose means liis Majesty expected to
recover the sovereignty of Great Britain ; at the same
time, application was made to the French court for per-
mission for Douglas' and the other regiments to return
to Scotland with the King ; but these gallant veterans
were so beloved and esteemed in France f*)r their good
conduct on all occasions, that Louis XIV. declined to
accede to tliirt recpiest, and promised to give them their
pwy with greater regularity m future.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

Had these distinguished regiments accompanied their 1651
sovereign to Scotland, great advantage would, doubtless,
have accrued to the royal cause. But, instead of ac-
companying their King, they were employed in the
defence of several strong towns on the frontiers of
Picardy and Flanders. The internal disorders in France
continued, a want of money prevailed in the army, and
many of the French soldiers deserted. At the same time
the Spaniards, being in communication with the dis-
affected in France, recovered several more of the towns
which had been wrested from them in the preceding
campaigns, and besieged Dunkirk.

While these events were occurring on the continent,
Charles II. was crowned King in Scotland ; but his
affairs not prospering in the north, he penetrated into
England, and the Scots troops sustained a decisive over-
throw at Worcester on the 3rd of September, 1651. The
King fled from the field, and, after remaining in conceal-
ment with several loyal families for a short time, he
escaped in disguise to France.

Meanwhile, the troubles in France were increasing.
The Duke of Orleans and the Prince of Condd were
opposed to the court ; the latter was at the head of an
army ; and Douglas' Regiment was employed in ope-
rations against the insurgents.

After several marches and manoeuvres, t^'o opposing 1652
armies came in contact in the summer of 1652, in the
vicinity of Paris ; the royal army was commanded by
Marshal Turenne ; and the rebel army by the Prince of
Conde, who erected barricades in the Fauxbourg of St.
Antoinc, where he was attacked on the 2nd of July,
1652.* The fighting had been continued for some time

A detailed account of this action is jrivcn in the Life of King

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1662 jyjtij great resolution on both sides, when Douglas' and
three other regiments attacked a barricade across one of
the streets near the river, which they carried sword in
hand, and, having dislodged the enemy from the houses,
established themselves on this spot. Immediately after-
wards a troop of roya' horse, attempting to pass the
barricade, was repulsed by the insurgent horsemen, who
were driven back in their turn by the fire of Dougl.' 3'
and another regiment from the houses. Scarcely had
the horse quitted the street, when two bodies of insurgent
foot came rushing forward with great fury to retake the
barricade, but Douglas' and another regiment opened so
destructive a fire from the houses, and the regiments
which guarded the barricade made so resolute a defence,
that the rebels were repulsed with great loss. A general
attack was afterwai'ds made on the other posts occupied
by the rebels in the suburbs of Paris, and the rebellion
would probably have been crushed at once, but the
Parisians opened their gates and admitted the insurgents
into the city, and thus protected them from the fury of
the royal army. The city of Paris having thus mani-
fested a determination to take part with the insurgents,
DoiTGLAs' llegnnent, with the remainder of the royal
army, retreated on the sane day to St. Denis, where his
Majesty and the court had retired.

While the Prince of Condti held possession of Paris,
and the royal army Iny at St. Denis, a large Spanish army
prepared to penetrate from the Netherlands into France,
to act in concert with t'le French insurgents ; when the
court of Louis XIV. removed to Pontoise, and the army

JtuiK's II., from the memoirs writK^n with his own hand, and
puhlished by tlio ilrv. J. S. Clarke in 1618 His Mujosty was
then (IG52) Duke of York, and wus serving with the Freneh Army,
of whieh Duuolas' llegiment formed \mt.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

marched to Compeigne, and encamped under the walls 1652
of the town. The Spanish army entered France, but after
a short stay it retired to the Netherlands, when the army
of Louis XIV. advanced towards Paris, and encamped
near Gonesse. This movement was followed by the
return of the Spanish forces under the Duke of Lor-
raine, when the army under Marshal Turenne attempted
to intercept the enemy, and a sharp skirmish occurred at
Villeneuve St. Georges, nine miles from Paris, and the
designs of the Duke of Lorraine were frustrated. But
the Prince of Conde marched out of Paris, and succeeded
in forming a junction' with the Sp^^niards at Ablon ; and
the united armies were double the ..umber of the forces
under Marshal Turenne, who constructed two temporary
bridges over the Seine, threw up entrenchm'^nts, and
maintained his post for several weeks. While the two
armies confronted each other, frequent skirmishes occurred
in the fields and vineyards, in which DougliIs' Scots took
a conspicuous part. On one of these occasions a captain
of the regiment was taken prisoner, who escaped from
the enemy a few days afterwards, and brought informa-
tion that tlic Prince of Conde had left the Spanish army
in consequence of indisposition. The enemy not ' 'ng
so watchful as before, and the King's anny being in
want of provisions, it retired with great secrecy during
the night of the 4th of October, and continued its march
to Courteuil, when the enemy quitted the vicinity of
Pa-is, and marched into winter quarters iu Champagne
and other parts of France.

When the absence of the united rebel and Spanish
army fn)m Parv was ascertained, the ioyal family of
France proceeded • *th a strong guard to the capital, and
obtained possession of the city ; and Douglas' liegiuient,

:«'

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1.5,

Ill

I ^1

1652 with the remainder of the King's army, marched for
Champagne, to attack the enemy in his quarters.

During the winter Douglas' Regiment Vas engaged in
the siege of Bar le Due ; the lower town was taken by
storm, and, about the middle of December, when two
practicable breaches weve made, the upper town and
castle surrendered ; when an Irish regiment in the Spanish
service was made prisoners. The Irish finding that the
Duke of York was with the French army, in command
of the Scots gendarmes and a regiment of foot called the
Regimen i ork, they obtained permission to enter the
Frei' . service, and were incorporated into the Duke's
rogiment.

From Bar le Due, Douglas' Reg-raent marched a
distance of nine miles, to Ligiiy, a to\,n situate on the
river Ornain, and was engaged in the siege of the castle.
A mine being ready, on the 21st of December, " Marshal
" Turenne commanded the regiments of York and
" Douglas to prepare for the attack at the springing of
" the mine, and ordered his own regiment to be in readi-
" ness to second them. All tilings being prepared in
" this manner, fire was given to the mine, and in the
" midst of the smoke, before it could be discerned what
" effect the mine had produced, the Count d'Estrees,
" who commanded the attack, ordered it to be instantly
" made. Accordingly, they fell on, passing over the
" ditch, which was very b'*oad, upon the ice. But when
" they came to the ditch, they perceived that the mine
*' had failed their OApectation, and there was no possi-
" bility of mounting the breach. Upon this there was a
" necessity of making n retreat ; the ice broke under the
" men, and most of them fell into the ditch, which gave
" leisure to the enemy to do execution on them. Thus,

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

for

at» a

the

;avo

1(18,

" for want of a litt'.e patience to see what effect the mine 1652
" had wrought ; the regiment of York lost four captains,
" some lieutenants and ensigns, and about a hundred
" men, slain outright, and the regiment of Douglas two
" captains and near fifty private soldiers ; besides many
" officers and soldiers hurt."* Immediately after this
failure another mine was commenced, and the garrison
surrendered on the 22nd of December.

A garrison having been placed in Ligny, the array 1653
proceeded to Chateau Portien, a small town of the Ar-
dennes, situate on the right bank of the river Aisne ; and
while on this march the weather was so severe, that
several of the soldiers were frozen to death on the road.
The sie^e of thit place was commenced in the beginning
of January, 1653, and the town was delivered up in less
than ten days.

Having completed this conquest, the troops proceeded
through a difficult tract of country, and besieged Vcrvins.
The weather continued inclement, the men wore sutfering
from the want of food, and great difficulti'^s had to be
overcome -, yet the attacKs were made with such spirit
and determination, ihat possession was gained of this
town on the 28th of January.

The troops were now exhausted, and Douglas' Regi-
ment was sent into quarters of refreshment. Jt again
took the field in Juno following ; but the enemy had so
great a superiority of numbers, that the greater part of
the year was passed in defensive operations.

The regiment apjjoars to have passed the year Ifi")! In 1054
garrison. Tn 1()55 it was employed In the Netiierlauds ; 1(35,)
its Colonel, Lieutenant-General Lord Jamei Douglas,

' Lifn nf King iwmet II., from llio Mptnoirs wrilien 'vitli lii^^
own hand.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1655 commanded a flying camp between Douay and Arras ;
several skirmishes occurred, and on one occasion Lord
James Douglas was killed ; he was succeeded in
the Colonelcy by his brother, Lord George Douglas,
afterwards Earl of Dumbarton. This change in its
Colonel did not alter the title of the corps, as it continued
to be distinguished l)y the title of Douglas' Regiment.
This year (1655) the King of Franco concluded a
treaty with Cromwell, who was at the head of the British
nation with the title of Lord Protector ; and it was
stipulated that a body of Cromwell's forces should pro-
ceed to Flanders to co-operate with the French a^^ainst
the Spaniards.

1855 This treaty occasioned King Charles IL to unite his
interests with those of Spain ; the Duke of ^'ork (quitted
France, and obtained a command in the Spanis) army ;
and a great part of the Royal British troops, which had
escaped from England and entered the French army,
transferred their services from the crown of France to

1657 that of Spain. The cavalier gentlemen, who thus trans-
ferred their services to the crown of Spain, were formed
into a troop of Horse Guards, of which Charles Berkeley
(afterwards Earl of Falmouth) was appointed Ca])tain
and Colonel ; and the remainder were formed into six
regiments of foot — one English, one Scots, and four
Irish.* The determination thus manifested by the
British troo])s in the service of France to pnvserve their
loyalty to King Charles II., appears to have occasioned

Pi i

Tlio forces were dcsif^nateci by the following titles : —

IIORSE Gl'ARI)8

The Duke of York's Troop

afterwards the third troop of
Life fiiiards, and disbuixlcd lit
1746.

I' r -i'

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

measures to be adopted by the French commanders to 1657
prevent Docjglas', and the other old Scots regiments,
from following this example ; and these corps appear to
have been placed in remote garrisons, as they are not
mentioned in the histories of the military transactions in
the Netherlands in 1657 and 1658, in which years the 1658
French array and Cromwell's forces captured St. Venant
and Mardyk, defeated the Spanish army, and afterwards
took Dunkirk, Ypres, Bruges, Dixmude, Fumes, Grave-
lines, Oudenarde, and Menin ; and Dunkirk was occu-
pied by the English.

In September, 1658, Cromwell died ; Lnd in 1659 the 1659
Prince of Condd disbanded his forces, and having ten-
dered his submission to the crown of France, he was
received into the favour of Louis XIV. At the same
time a treaty of peace, called the Peace of the Pyrenees,
was concluded between France and Spain, and Dunkirk
was ceded to England.

After this treaty was concluded the strength of the 1660
French army was decreased, and Douglas' Regiment
was reduced to eight companies. These events were
followed by the restoration of King Charles II. to the
throne of Great Britain ; when the British troops which
had been in the service of Spain were placed in garrison

Foot.
The King's Regiment of Guards, afterwards

The Duke of York's Regiment
The Duke of Gloucester's Regt.
The Etirl of Bristol's Regiment
Lonl Newborough's Regiment
Colonel Richard Grace's Regt.

constituted, with a
battalion of Guards raised in
England in 1661, the First
Foot Guards.
The few remaining men of these
regiments were, in 1660, placed
in garrison at Dunkirk ; they
were afterwards removed to
Tangier, and incorporated in
the Second, or Qukbn's Rk-
oiMKNT OF Foot.

."be. ]«.

THK FIRST, OR ROY AT.

1660 at Dunkirk ; and Douolas' Regiment, in the French
service, was in garrison at Avennes.

1661 Soon after the restoration, King Charles II. dishanded
the army of the Commonwealth, which he found in
England at his return. It was, however, deemed neces-
sary to have a regular force established, for in January,

. 1661, a number of religious fanatics, called millenarians,
or fifth monarchy-men, took arms against the govern-
ment, and, although this insvi.i ction was suppressed in
a few days, yet it was deemed necessary to send for the
Duke of York's troop of Guards from Dunkirk, and
afterwards for Douglas' veteran Scots regiment irom
Flanders.

The regiment having arrived in England in the spring
of 1661, it obtained rank in the British army from that
date. It appears, however, to have had rank in the
Swedish army from about the year 162.5, and in the
French army from 16.33. No instance has been met
with of its having been distinguished by any other title
than the name of its Colonel, except during part of
the time it was in the Swedish service, when it was de-
signated, together with three other Scots regiments of
which it is now the representative, the Grren Brigade.

Soon after its arrival in England the establishment of
the regiment was augmented, and its presence at this
particular period was of great service to King Charles. II.*
But his Majesty having (after disbanding the whole of

* *' Ce Regiment de Douglas, <;tant en garnison k Avennes en
" 1661, cut ordre de passer en Angleterrc, oil il rendit des services
" trds consideiables au Roy Charles II.

" 11 n'etoit que de huit coinpagnies en partant de France, et se
" trouva en y revenant, un an apres, de trentc-trois .onipagnies,
••qui ^toient composdcs pour le moins de cent hommes chacune.
" Mylord George Douglas Pa toujours commando en Frunee."—
P^re Daniel.

KEOIMKM' OF FOOT.

the army of the Commonwealth) establishe?^ tiiree troops 1661
of Life Guards, a regiment of Horse Guards, ind two
regiments of Foot Guards, in England ; and a troop of
Life Guards, and a regiment f Foot Guards ir Scot-
land ; it was not deemed nec^s^iry to detain Douglas'
veteran corps in England, and k was, accordingly, sent
back to France in 16b2.

At the same time, General Andrew Rutherford, who 1662
commanded the battalion of Scots Guards in the French
service, having been appointed Governor of Du' V>k by
King Charles II., his battalion was incorporated in
Douglas' Regiment. There was also another battalion
of Scots Foot in t^^ service of France, cuuimanded by
Lord James L ^gias, and this battalion was li* ewise in-
corporated into Douglas' veteran regiment, which now
consisted of tv. enty-three companies of one hundred men
each, and its established numbers, including officers and
non-commissioned officers, were upwards of 2500.

The King of France having, after the treaty of tl\e 1663
Pyrenees, placed his anny upon a peace establishment,
the strength of Douglas' Regiment was reduced to eight
companies of one hundred men each.

Three years after its return to France, a wjir broke 166&
out between England and Holland ; and in the sr.ccteding 1666
year Louis XIV. took part with the Dutch against
England, when Douglas' regiment was again ordered to
quit the French service, and to return to England : it ac-
cordingly landed at Rye, in Sussex, on the 12tli of
June, 1606, and mustered eight hundred men.*

The Roman Catholics in several counties ir Ireland
were, at this period, in a state of insurrection ; and in a
short time after the arrival of the regiment from France,

* London (iazcttc ; and Military Records in the Stave Pajjcr
Office.

^«ecr^ \' *^

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1666 it was ordered to proceed to Ireland, where it appears to
have remained upwards of twelve months.

1668 After the conclusion of the peace of Breda in 1668,
the insurrections in Ireland having been suppressed, tlie
regiment was again sent to France ; and in an order

1670 issued by Louis XIV. in 1670, respecting the rank of
regiments, it appears one of the first.*

1672 A war commenced in 1672 between the French mo-
narch and the States General of Holland ; King Charles
II. of England also declared war against the Dutch ;
and a British force, commanded by the Duke of Mon-
mouth, was sent to France to co-operate with the army
of Louis XIV, in an attack upon Holland. Douglas'
Regiment had, in the meantime, been augmented to
sixteen companies, and when the army took the field, it
formed two battalions ; and was in the division of the
army commanded by Marshal Turenne. Several fortified
towns were captured by the main army ; and in June,
Douglas' Regiment, being encamped in the vicinity of
Nimeguen, wa'^ d* tached with several other corps under
the Comte du C'h.nully to besiege Grave. The attack
on the town i oioni<: iced towards the end of June, and in
the early part oi July the governor surrendered. A
number of the subjects of the British crown, who had
entered the service of Holland, being found in garrison,
they were permitted to engage in the service of Louis
XIV., and were received as recruits in Douglas' Rcgi-
ment.t In August the regiment was withdrawn from

* " Ze Hegment de Douglas Escossois. Ce Regiment a servi
" plusieurs ann6es en France, et s'y est fort distingu6. Je trouve
*' dans rOrdonnance de Louis XIV., deTan 1672, pour lo rang des
' Regimens, qu'il etoit un des premiers." — Pire Daniel.

t Comte de Chamiliy's dcspalch, in the original correspondence
respecting the campaign of 1672, published in France.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

the vicinity of Grave, and ordered to join the forces under 1672
Marshal Turonne.

In 1673 eight thousand British troops served with the 1673
French army, and were engaged in the siege of Maes-
tricht, in which service they evinced signal gallantry ;
and in repuls^ing a sally of part of the garrison, the Duke
of Monmouth, Captain Churchill (afterwards the great
Duke of Marlborough), and twelve private I'len of the
English Life Guards (a squadron of whic'" oovt)* was
serving with the French army), highly hed

themselves.* The town surrendered on thi

Before the following year King Charles ll. 1 1674

a treaty of peace with the Dutch Republic ; but lis
Majesty did not withdraw the whole of his troops from
France ; and during the campaign of 1674 Douglas'
Regiment, with the Scots regiment of Hamilton, and
the English regiments of Monmouth and Churchill,
served with the French army on the Rhine, commanded
by Marshal Turenne. In the early part of June, Do uglas'
Regiment was encamped near Philipsburg,f a town in
the west of Germany about half a mile from the Rhine,
and was formed in brigade with the French regiments of
Plessis and La Ferte, with a battalion of detachments,
commanded by Brigadier-General the Marquis of Dou-
glas.+

The opposing armies having taken the field, Douglas'
Regiment was suddenly withdrawn from the vicinity of
Philipsburg, and, after crossing the Rhine, advanced
towards the ancient city of Heidelberg, to prevent the
junction of the forces under the Duke of Lorraine and

* See the Historical Record of the Life Guards, p. 43.
f Histoiro du Vicomte de Turenne par L'Altho Raguenot.
X Mi-moires de deux dernieres Cainpagnes de Monsieur de
Turenne en Allemagnc

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THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1674 the army cominanded by the Duke of Bournonville.
This movement brought on several skirmishes, in which
the regiment took part ; it was also engaged in a sharp
action on the 16th of June, when the Imperialists were
defeated ; and in the accounts of this action published at
the time, the conduct of the re^ment is spoken of in
terms of commendation.

After chasing the enemy out of the Palatinate, the
regiment retired with the army across the Rhine, to join
the reinforcements from Alsace and other places; and
after the arrival of these tioops, the army re-passed the
Rhine, and Douglas' and two other regiments were de-
tached to the vicinity of Landau, and ordered to encamp
within a league of the town. The regiment was subse-
quently detached towards Manheim, and, after taking
part in several operations, in the beginning of October it
was encamped at Lavantzenaw, in Alsace.

Information having been received that the Germans
had passed the Rhine and advanced to Mblsheim, the
French and British troops quitted their camp about an
hour after midnight on the 3rd of October, and after a
march of several hours, arrived at the enemy's camp, and
attacked them with great spirit. The conflict took place
amongst woods and broken grounds, and the British
troops displayed signal gallantry, fighting with a spirit
and resolution which the enemy cuuld not withstand.
Many officers and men fell, yet the conflict was con-
tinued, and Lord Duras (afterwards Earl of Feversham)
had three horses killed under him. Eventually the
enemy were driven from the field, with the loss of ten
pieces of cannon, thirty standards and colours, and several
prisoners.*

* London Gazette.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

The Germans were subsequently reinforced by a 1674
number of fresh troops, when Marshal Turenne retired
with the French and British forces, and took up a posi-
tion near Saveme in Alsace, by which he prevented the
Imperialists deriving much advantage from their supe-
riority of numbers, n ) \' -' I

During the depth of the winter, when the Germans 1675
had retreated, Douglas' Regiment* was placed, with
several other corps, under the orders of the Marquis of
T^aubrun, and engaged in the siege of Dachstein, a town
in the department of the Lower Rhine. The trenches
were opened during the night of the 'ioth of January,
1675; and during the night of the iSth, Douglas'
veterans were engaged in storming the works, and lost
several officers and men. Amongst the killed was the
Major of the regiment, who is stated by the French his-
torians to have been an officer of great merit. On the
following day the governor surrendered the town, when
the regiment was sent into quarters.

It again took the field in the month of May, and was
encamped for a short time near Strasburg ; at the same
time the Germans, under the Count de Montecuculi,
menaced the city of Philipsburg with a siege ; but the
French and British forces passed the Rhine on the 7th of
June, when the Germans changed their position, and the
two armies confronted each other, and manceuvrcd for
several days in the territory bordering on the Rhine.
Douglas' Regiment, having been on a detached service
for some time, was suddenly ordered to join the main
army, from whence it was afterwards sent to Treves to

* The Colonel of the Regiment, Lord George Douglas, was
vrvaied Earl of Dumbarton on the 9th of March, 1675; but the
French historians continued to designate the cor|>8, ^'Le R4giment
de Douglas."

THB FIRST, OR ROYAL

1675 reinforce the garrison. Several sharp skirmishes occurred ;
and on the 27th of July, as Marshal Turenne was recon-
noitring the enemy, he was killed hy a cannon-ball. After
the death of this celebrated veteran, the army was com-
manded ad interim by the Count de Lorge, who retreated
across the Rhine. The Germans attacked their adversaries
while making this retrograde movement, when the gallant
conduct of two battalions of veteran Scots saved the main
army from a severe loss. Treves was afterwards besieged
by the Germans, and Douglas' Regiment highly distin-
guished itself in the defence of this ancient city, under the
command of Marshal de Crequi. The French troops
mutinied, and endeavoured to compel the governor to sur-
render, but Douglas' Scots stood by the Marahal in the
desperate defence of the town, and were thanked for their
conduct by Louis XIV. Treves was surrendered on the
5th of September, and the regiment was bound by the
articles not to serve for three months, either in the field
or in the defence of any town. %■ *f

1676 The French monarch having employed the greater
part of his forces in making conquests in the Netherlands,
a small army, of which Douglas' and Hamilton's Scots
regiments formed part, was employed on t' "Ihine dur-
ing the campaign of 1676, under the ordv. of Marshal
Luxembourg. The imperial army, commanded by the
Duke of Lorraine, had great superiority of numbers. In
the beginning of June, the tw( • armies were manoBUvring
and skirmishing in Alsace ; anH on the 5th of that month,
while the French were retiring through the mountains
near Saverne^ the Germans attacked the rear-guard with
great fury, and, having forced a defile, put several French
squadrons into confusion. But as the German horsemen
galloped between the mountains in pursuit, two batta-
lions of Scots foot having taken post on some high ground

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

beyond the defile, the musketeers opened so tremendous a 1616
fire that the pursuing squadrons were checked and forced
to retire, when a regiment of German horse, and several
squadrons of Lorrfune dragoons, were nearly destroyed.
In this rencontre Sir George Hamilton and several other
officers of distinction were killed. The French army
subsequently formed an entrenched camp near Saveme ;
and the Germans besieged Philipsburg, which was sur-
rendered on the 15th of September.

During the campaign of 1677, the French army on IGll
the Rhine was commanded by Marshal de Crequi. The
British troops with this army consisted this year of two
squadrons of Royal English horse, and two battalions
of Douglas' and a battalion of Monmouth's regiments.*
The opposing armies took the field, and after much
manoeuvring and skirmishing, the Prince of Saxe-
Eysenach, who commanded a division of Germans, hav-
ing been driven into an island on the Rhine, was forced
to capitulate. A sharp skirmish afterwards took place
at Kochersherg, in Alsace, when the Imperialists were
defeated, and susta.aed great loss. Frihourg was subse-
quently besieged by a detachment from the French army,
and the garrison surrendered on the I6th of November,
when Douglas' regiment proceeded into winter quarters.

At length the conquests effected by France occasioned 1678
the English Court and Parliament to become sensible of
the necessity of restraining the ambition of Louis XIV. ;

* In tho order of battle for the French army on the Khine in
1677, printed in the Histoire MilUcdre de Louis le Grand, the
First Battalion of Douglas' Regiment appears formed in bri-
gade with tlie regiments of La Marine^ Courunne, and Ven-
dume, and tho second battalion is posted between two cavalry
brigades, on tho loft of the lino.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1678 and King Charles II., having concluded a treaty with the
Dutch, gave orders for the British troops in the French
service to return to England ; at the same time, his
Majesty issued commissions for an augmentation of ahout
twenty thousand men to the English army, and declared
his determination of enga^ng in the war with France.
Dumbarton's Regiment, as it was now designated,
accordingly received orders in the early part of the year
1678 to quit the service of the French monarch, and
from this period it has heen permanently on the British
establishment.

Soon after the arrival of the regiment from France, a
number of men, who each carried a large pouch filled
with Hand-Grenades, were added to the establishment,
and formed into a company, under the command of Cap-
tain Robert Hodges. These men were instructed to ignite
the fuses, and to cast the grenades into forts, trenches,
or amidst the ranks of their enemies, where the explosion
was calculated to produce much execution ; and the men,
deriving their designation from the combustibles with
which they were armed, were styled Grenadiers. Their
duties were considered more arduous than those of the
pikemen or musketeers; and the strongest and most
active men were selected for the grenadier company.
And although the hand-grenades have long been laid
aside, yet one company, which is designated the " Grena-
dier Company," continues to form part of every bat-
talion.

1679 In 1679, Dumbarton's Regiment, which consisted at
this period of twenty-one companies, was stationed in
^. eland. In the autumr; of this year, Tangier, in Africa
(which had been ceded by Portugal to Charles II., in
1662, as part of the marriage-portion of his consort,

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

Donna Catherina, Infanta of Portugal), was besieged by 1679
the Moors, wko destroyed two forts at a short distance
from the town, and then retired.

They, however, again appeared before the town in the 1680
spring of 1680, when four companies of Dumbarton's
Re^ment were ordered to reinforce the garrison ; and
these companies having embarked at Kinsale in the
James and Swan frigates, landed at Tangier on the 4th
of April.

Fort Henrietta, which stood at a short distance from
the town, was at this time besieged by the Moors, and
two breaches having been made, and the works under-
mined, the garrison could not maintain the place ; con-
sequently a sally from the city was resolved upon, to
give the garrison an opportunity of blowing up the fort,
and of cutting their passage through the Moorish army
to the town ; and Captain Hume, Lieutenant Pierson,
Lieutenant Bayley, four Serjeants, and 80 private men, of
Dumbarton's Regiment, were selected to form the for-
lorn-hope in the sally. Accordingly, at eight o'clock on
the morning of the 12th of May, Dumbarton's veterans
issued from the town, and made a gallant attack on the
Moorish army ; at the same time the garrison in the fort
blew up the building, and rushed forward, sword in
hand, to cut their passage through the barbarians. The
conflict was sharp : the Moors came running forward in
crowds to cut off this devoted band ; yet these resolute
Britons forced the first trench, and gained the second.
This was, however, twelve feet deep ; and while strug.
gling to overcome the difficulty. Captain Trelawny and
120 men were killed by the Moors ; and only forty-four
officers and men succeeded in joining Captain Hume and
his party of veteran Scots. This party was also attacked
by several bodies of Moorish horsemen, who were all

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1680 expert lancers ; but the barbarians were repulsed. One
Moorish chieftain rode over Captain Hume ; but his
horse fell, and the barbarian was immediately killed.
The men continued skirmishing, and retiring in good
order until they arrived under the protection of the guns
of the fortress. The companies of Dumbarton's Regi-
ment lost on this occasion fifteen men killed, and Captain
Hume* and several men wounded.

In a few days after this action a cessation of hostilities
was agreed upon with the Moors for four months ; and
during the summer twelve additional companies of
Dumbarton's Regiment arrived at Tanker, from Ire-
land, under the command of Major Sir James Hackett.
The arrival of these celebrated veterans is thus announced
in one of the publications of that .'period : — " After this
" landed the valorous Major Hackett with the renowned
" regiment of the Earl of Dumbarton ; all of them men
" of approved valour, fame having echoed the sound of
" their glorious actions and achievements in France and
" other nations ; having left behind them a report of
" their glorious victories wherever they came ; every place
" witnessing and giving large testimony of their renown :
" so that the arrival of this illustrious regiment more and
" more increased the resolutions and united the courage
" of the inhabitants, and added confidence to their
" valour."t

((

* ** Captain Hume, who commanded our advance-party,
" showed great conduct and courage, standing several charges of
" the enemy's horse ; and when the action was over, and he was
" upon his retreat to the main body, one of the Moors' chief
" commanders charged the rear of his party and overthrew him ;
** but the Moor's horse falling, he was immediately killed." —
London Gazette,

t Tangier's Rdscue by John Ross, fol. 1681.

((

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

Hostilities again commenced in September, when the 1680
garrison quitted the town, and encamped under the walls ;
and the Lieut.-Govemor, Sir Palmes Fairbome, is
reported to have made the following speech to Dumbar-
ton's Scots : — " Countrymen and fellow-soldiers, let not
" your approved valour and fame in foreign nations be
" derogated at this time, neither degenferate from your
" ancient and former glory abroad ; and as you are looked
" upon here to be brave and experienced soldiers (con-
" stant and successive victories having attended your con-
" quering swords hitherto), do not come short of the
" great hopes we have in you, and the propitious proce-
" dures we expect from you at this time. For the glory
" of your nation, if you cannot surpass, you may imitate
" the bravest, and be emulous of their praises and

" renown."*

The expectations of the Lieutenant-Governor, with
regard to these celebrated Scots, appear to have been
realised ; and in the various skirmishes and actions which
followed, they always signalised themselves. In the
account of a sharp action fought on the 20th of Sep-
tember, it is reported that " The grenadiers under
" Captain Hodges behaved themselves very bravely."
On the 22nd of the same month, " Some of the Moorish
" horse advanced resolutely to the very line where mI'
" men were lodged, but were repulsed, and several tr
" them killed. Several of the Scots grenadiers, who were
" very active and daring, advancing a little too fan
" were killed, and others, advancing to their relief, were
" likewise hard put to it." A sharp skirmish was after-
wards kept up throughout the day, and " The Scots and
" the seamen from the fleet were hotly engaged, having

* Tangier's Rescue by John Ross, f'ol. 1681.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1680 " beat the Moore out of several trenches." While retir-
ing, Captain Fitzpatrick was attacked by a Moorish
chieftain, but was delivered by a shot which brought the
barbarian down at the moment he was about to spear the
captain. A Scots grenadier, of undaunted bravery,
being desirous of possessing the Moor's charger, leaped
over the trenches and seized the horse ; but this brave
man was immediately afterwards cut to pieces by a party
of Moors, who came galloping forward at the moment he
was about to retire with the horse. On the same day it
was resolved, in consequence of a newly-erected fort being
completed, to retire within the walls, when Sir James
Hackett, at the head of Dumbarton's Scots, covered the
retrograde movement, and repulsed several charges made
by the Moorish lancers.

A sally was made from the town on the 24th of Sep-
tember, when the Scots again distinguished themselves,
and had Captain Forbes and eight men killed. The
Lieut. -Governor, Sir Palmes Fairbome, also received a
mortal wound, and was succeeded in the command of the
garrison by Lieut. -Colonel Sackville of the Foot Guards.

On the 27th of September, a general sally of the gar-
rison was made on the Moorish lines, where between
fourteen and fifteen thousand barbarians were encamped.
About three in the morning, the troops issued in silence
from the town, and formed in order of battle. Soon after-
wards the signal for the attack was given, when Dumbar-
ton's* company of Scots grenadiers, led by Captain
Hodges, and followed by the remaining companies of the
regiment, rushed towards the Moorish lines with the

* •' This day the Scots and their grenadiers charged first, if
" there was any time at all between their charging : for, like fire
" and lightning, all went on at once."— Tan^r's Rescue.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

velocity of lightning. The Moors, who were reposing 1680
beyond their trenches, were suddenly aroused by the
sound of a trampling multitude rushing to battle ; and
the next moment a shower of hand-grenades bursting
amongst them put them in some confusion; yet they
sprang to their arms, and, standing firm to receive the
charge, disputed the ground with firmness Soon the
action became general, and " Nothing was heard but the
" roaring of cannon, the firing of muskets, and the loud
" acclamations of the christians, who, ever and anon, when
" they gained any trench of the enemy, raised a shout
" which pierced the clouds, and echoed in the sky.* "
Dumbarton's veterans quickly carried the first trench,
then mixing in fierce combat with the Moors, soon proved
that a valiant Scot was more than a match for one of the
dusky sons of Africa. The first trench having been won,
a portion of it was levelled for the cavalry, and the British
and Spanish horsemen charged the Moors, and plunging
amidst the dark masses, trampled and cut down the
astonished Africans. At the same time the British gre-
nadiers were seen using their hatchets with dreadful exe-
cution on one side, the pikemen were bearing down all
before them on another, and, the musketeers, having slung
their muskets, were fighting, sword in hand, with an im-
petuosity which the Moors could not withstand. Tlie
waving masses of barbarians were broken, and they
fled like a scattered swa? m over the land ; the British
troops pursued, and a number of single combats followed,
for the Moors were more expert in personal conflicts than
in fighting in large bodies. These combats, however,
generally terminated in favour of the British ; and the
Scots, particularly Captain Hodges and his grenadier

Tangier's Rescue.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1680 company, were distinguished for the number they slew.
Thus the siege of Tangier was raised, and Dumbarton's
veteran Scots captured a splendid colour* from the
Moors. The regiment lostf in this action. Lieutenants
Scott and St. Leger ; Ensigns Farrell, Murray, Bell, and
Rhue ; six Serjeants, and thirty private soldiers killed ;
Captains Lockart, Lundy, Hume, Douglas, and Percy ;
Lieutenants Glascock, Murray, Ennis, Corson, Baines-
man, Macrohen, Stuart, Aukmooty, and Butler; with
Ensign Mowast, and one hundred Serjeants and private
men wounded.

In a few days after this engagement a tmce was con-
cluded with the Moors for six months ; and in the early

* Four colours were captured in this action ; one by Dumbar-
ton's Scots, one by the Admiral's battalion, one by the English
horse, and one by the Spaniards. Three guns were also taken ;
two by the Foot Guards, and one by the battalion of Marines and
Seamen.

t The following return shows the loss sustained by the British
troops in this engagement : —

Corps.

Killed.

Wounded. 1

i§

Four ^troops of English Horse, now

Royal Dragoons

• •

Three do. of Spanish Horse, disbanded

in 1683

Battalion of Foot Guards

• •

The Earl of Dumbarton's Regiment,

now 1st Royal ....
The Earl of Inchiquin's do., now

• •

100

• •

2nd or Queen's Roynl . .

• •

124

• «

Vice Admiral Herbert's Battalion, con-

sisting of Marines and Seamen .
Total

• •

■ •

• •

100

334

Narrative of the Siege of Tangier, published by authority, fol. 1G80.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

part of December a regiment of foot (now the Fourth, or 1680
King's own), with 200 recruits for Dumbarton's Regi-
ment, arrived from England.

During the winter, Lieut-Colonel Kirk was sent on 1681
an embassy to Muley-Ismael, Emperor of Morocco. In
the spring of 1681, a treaty of peace for four years was
concluded and sent to England by Captain Thomas
Langston.

King Charles II., however, found the maintenance of 1682
a sufficient garrison at Tangier too expensive to be con-
tinued without the aid of a grant from parliament. At
the same time the nation was more alarmed at the pros-
pect of a popish successor to the throne than at the
apprehension of losing this fortress, which they feared
would become a nursery for popish soldiers. The advan-
tage derived from the Levant trade, and other arguments,
were brought forward in favour of maintaining Tangier ;
but the parliament refused the necessary supply; and
towards the end of 1683, Admiral Lord Dartmouth was i683
sent with a fleet to demolish the fortress, and to bring
away the garrison and British inhabitants.

One company of Dumbarton's Re^ment arrived from
Tangier, in November, 1683, and landed at Gravesend ;
and the remainder arrived in the river Thames in Feb-
ruary, 1684, and, having landed at Rochester, were i6g4
quartered — eight companies at Rochester and Chatham,
six at Winchester, and two at Southampton. At the
same time directions were sent to the Duke of Ormond,
the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, to send the five com-
panies of the regiment in that country to England.

In June of this year four companies attended the
Duchess of York (afterwards Queen of England) at
Tunbridge Wells; and in the autumn King Charles II.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1084 conferred upon this celebrated regiment the title of The
Royal Regiment of Foot.*

On the 1st of October, sixteen companies of the Royal
Regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Sir James
Hackctt, were reviewed, with a number of other corps,
by King Charles II., on Putney Heath. "The Cold-
" stream, my Lord Dumbarton's, and the Admiral's
" Battalions, successively exercised all three by beat of
" drum, the military postures of pike, sword, and musket,
" every man dexterously discharging his duties with an
" exact and general readiness, to the great delight of
" their Majesti^-s and Royal Highnesses, who vouchsafed,
*' all the time of exercise, to grace the arms with their
" presence. The other two battfilions of the Royal Regi-
" mentf had not fallen short of the like performance, if
" illness of weather, when they just intended it, had not
" prevented : the day proving wet and showery was a ge-
" ncral impediment from proceeding at that time to any
" other motions customary upon the like reviews ; and all
" decamped sooner than otherwise they would have done."
In the Army List, published by Nathan Brooks, in
October, 1684, th*^. Royal, or Dumbarton's Regiment, is

• The First Rcprimcnt of Foot Guards was for severul years
designated the Royal Regiment. There was also at this period a
Royal Regiment in Ireland, which was sometimes styled Foot
Guards. Tliis corps adhered to King James II. ut the Revolu-
tion in 1G8S. One battalion had previously arrived in Englaiul,
and, being conqKJsed of papists, it was disbanded by William III.
The nten were confined a short timo in the Isle of Wight, and
afterwards transferred to the service of the Emperor of Germany.
The oilier battalion fouj'ht in the cause of James II. in Ireland,
until the surretidcr of Limerick in 10!)I, when it proceeded to
France, and remained in the French service until it was disbanded

t The author of the account of this review here nioais iwo
battalions of the Ist Foot Guards.

REGIMENT OF FOOT. W

stated to " consist of twenty-one companies, two lieute- 1684
" nants to each company, three Serjeants, three corporals,
" and two drums, established ; distinguished by red coats
" lined with white ; sashes white, with a white fringe ;
" breeches and stockings light grey ; grenadiers distin-
" guishcd by caps lined white, the lion's face, proper,
" crowned ; flys St. Andrew's cross, with thistle and
" crown, circumscribed in the centre, ^ Nemo me impune
" lacessit' "

After the review, the regiment was stationed in exten-
sive cantonments in the county of Kent, where it remained
until the death of King Charles II., on the 6th February,
1685, when it was suddenly ordered to march into 1685
quarters in London and tho adjacent villages.* Al-
though King James II. was known to be a papist, yet
no opposition was made to his accession to the throne ;
and in March four companies proceeded to Yarmouth,
and four to Rochester, leaving thirteen companies in
quarters in the metropolis.

The tranquillity of the kingdom was, however, sud-
denly disturbed in June, 1685, by the rebellion of James,
Duke of Monmouth, who appeared en the western coast
with a band of followers, and asserted his pretensions to
the throne, when orders were issued for the Royal Regi-
ment to be augmented to one hundred men per company,
and five companies were sent from London to Portsmouth,
to increase the strength of that garrison.

Shortly afterwards, Brigadier-General Lord Churchill
(afterwards the Great Duke of Marlborough) was sent to
the west of England with a body of troops to oppose the
reljcls ; and another division of the army followed under
the direction of Licut.-Gcneral the Earl of Feversham,

• Wur-Officc Records.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1685 who was appointed to the coinmand of the royal forces.
At the same time five companies of the Royal Regiment
of foot, under the orders of Lieutenant-Colonel Archi-
bald Douglas, and a troop of the Royal Horse Guards,
commanded by Sir Francis Compton, were sent from
London with the train of artillery to be employed on
this service. The four companies of the Royal Regi-
ment at Yarmouth were at the same time ordered to
march to London ; so that during Monmouth's rebellion
the regiment was employed as follows : — Five companies
with the army ; five in garrison at Portsmouth ; seven
attending the court in London ; and four at Rochester.*
The five companies of the Royal Regiment, under the
orders of Lieut.-Colonel Douglas, with nine field-pieces,t
having joined the army under the Earl of Feversham,
the rebels found it necessary to move to Bridgewater.
The King's forces advanced to the village of Weston,
where they arrived on the 5th of July, and the cavalry
having been quartered in the village, the infantry en-
camped on Sedgcmoor. The Royals, being formed in
one small battalion, took the right of the line, and were
posted behind a deep ditch ; a squadron of horse and
fifty dragoons were sent forward as an advanced guard,
iand one hundred of the Royals were kept under arms in
readiness to support the cavalry out-guards. During
the night the rebels marched out of Bridgewater, with
the design of surprising the King's forces ; but the guard
having given an alarm, the five companies of the Royal
Regiment were formed in order of battle in a few
moments, and opening tlieir fire upon the advancing

* Wur-Offico Rprords.

1 bixtoni HoIil-|iitM'fs wciv ciiiiildyi'd. Nine were sent liom tin'
'I'dwei' t»r Loudon, and seven I'roui Purtsniuudi.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

rebels with jj,o effect, held them in check, and gave 1685
time to the other battalions to form, and for the cavalry
to draw out of the village.* The rebel cavalry, under
Lord Grey, first attempted to charge the Royals, but
being unable to cross the ditch, they were driven back by
the steady fire of the veteran Scots. The rebel infantry,
headed by the Duke of Monmouth, directing their march
by the fire, first attacked the Royals, and extending
along the moor, a sharp combat of musketry ensued in
the dark. The rebel foot, consisting principally of
miners, fought with desperation ; but their cavalry was
soon chased out of the field by the King's horsemen ; and
when daylight appeared, the Life Guards, Royal Horse
Guards, and Royal Dragoons, charged the right flank of
the rebel infantry, and put Monmouth's untrained batta-
lions into disorder. A complete rout ensued ; the insurgents
fled from the moor ; and numbers were slain and made
prisoners in the adjoining fields. The companies of the
Royal Regiment were foremost in the pursuit, and cap-
tured the Duke of Monmouth's standard with his motto
in gold letters, — '■''Fear none but God."\

The Duke of Monmouth was taken prisoner soon after-
wards, and was beheaded on the 15th of July on Tower-
Hill, London.

Thus the rebellion was suppressed ; and the sum of
397/. was paid to the officers and soldiers of the Royal
Regiment of foot who were wounded in this service, as
is set forth in the following warrant, copied from the
public accounts of that period : —

* Lcdiard, and several other historians, attribute the preserva-
tion of tiic King's army from a oomplcto overthrow at Scdgcnioor
to the cxcolliMit conduct of fiie Royals, in being under arms so
(juickly us to hv, abh* to hold the rol)ols in checli until the other
corps iiad time to t'orni their ruiilcs.

f Fountuinludi's Diary, p. 59.

.^^a?5^-

72 THE FIRST

, OR ROYAL

;

1685 " James R. '

" Whereas by the establishment of our forces, we

" have been graciously pleased to direct that an allowance

" be made to such officers and soldiers as should be

** wounded or hurt in our service ; our will and pleasure

" is, that out of such monies as are or shall come to your

*' hands for the contingent use of our guards^ &c., you

" cause the sums following to be paid to the officers,

" non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, of our Royal

" Regiment of Foot, hereunder mentioned, viz. : —

£. 8. d.

£. a. d. 1

Capt. Jas. Moncrief . 40

Thomas Gouthar ..200 |

Lieut. Jno. Stirling . 20

James Johnston

..300

„ Rob. Dury . . 20

John Adams, jun.

..800

„ Thos. Bruce . 20

James Johnston .

..200

„ Jno. Livingston 35

John Mackiver .

. .400

„ Jno. M'KuUock 25

James Mosey

..500

„ Jas. Law . . 15

John Gorden
James Factor •

..400

1.500

£175

Thomas Baker .
James Contie .

..200

Seijeants.

..300

Murdo Mackenne ..800

Robert Miller .

..400

John Henderson ..200

Dunie Ferguson
Dune Mackenzie

..200

James Ferchardson ..200

..200

Will. Conn . ... 8

John Young

..400

Corporals.

Nicholas Farland

..300

Andrew Kennedy ..800

John Clark . .

..200

Andrew Duncomb ..400

Alex. Wilson

.200

Drummer.

Andrew Singleton

..200

William Murray ..500

William Symins

..200

Privates.

George Robinson
David Arrott

..400

Thomas Powell . . .400

..400

John Mackintosh ..400

Thomas Mackgownc

> .200

David Campbell ..300

JohnM«Garth .

. . 2 C 4i,

David M'Cloud ... 4

John Mackenzie

..300

Allan M'Cullough ..300

John Bume . .

.300

Edwd. Correll, jun. .800

Jno. Robinson .

.200

Duncomb Grant ..400

Jas. Ramskin .

..300

John Mackenzie, jun. .200

Will. Lowder .

.300

Alex. Mackintosh ..200

John Davison .

.200

Alex. M'Dowgall ..400
John Pendrick . . .300

Charles Johnson

.300

Charles Gelly .

.300

John Brown . . .400

Willm. Bayon . .

.200

John Shepheard ..200

James Watson . ,

.200

John Chambers . . .700

Charles Jolley .

.600

James Hull . ... 7

Peter Constable .

.500

Thomas Shepheard ..200

John Lowry . . .200

222 ■

David Jekeubur . .400

Officers 175 1

John Kichy .... ."J
Jumi's Itatt . . ..200

■

£397 1

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

" Which sums, amounting to three hundred and 1685
ninety-seven pounds, are to be paid to the said per-
sons, in satisfaction for their wounds received in our
service during the late rebellion ; provided none of them
be already admitted to the allowance appointed for our
Royal Hospital, near Chelsea. And for so doing, this,
together with the acquit dUces of the said persons, or
their assigns, shall be j\y ir discharge.
" Given at om* Court at Whitehall this 16th day of
" May, 1686.

" By his Majesty's command,

" William Blathwayte.

" To our trusty and well-beloved Cousin and
Councillor Richard, Earl of Randagh,
our Paymaster- General, ifc. ifc. §'C."

The following men of the Royal Regiment, who were
admitted into the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, received
the sums set down against their names : —

£. s.

£ 8.

J. Batchelor, 1 marks .

6 13

Angus Macleod . .

. 6 13

Martin Bryer . . .

6 13

Arch. Nicholson

. 6 13

Jas. Bennerman

6 13

Thomas Jarvis .

. C 13

John Dannine . . .

6 13

Robert Thomas .

. G 13

Arch. Eastwood . .

G 13

John Harris • •

. U 13

John Murray . . .

6 13

Godfrey Twiddy

. . 6 13

Serjeant Weems of the Royal Regiment particularly
distinguished himself ; and a warrant of James H.
directs that he should be paid " Forty pounds for good
" service in the action at Sedgemoor, in firing the great
" guns against the rebels."

A few days after the battle, the establishment of the
Royal Regiment was reduced from 100 to 50 private
men per company ; and in August eleven companies
were encamped on Hounslow Heath, where they wore
reviewed by the King. In September, thirteen com-

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1685 panics marched to Winchester, to attend the court at
that city ; and the regiment passed the winter at Ports-
mouth and Exeter, with one company detached to Lynn.

At this period the establishment of the regiment
consisted of 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 major,
18 captains, 1 captain-lieutenant, 41 lieutenants, 21
ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 chaplain, 1 quartermaster and
marshal, 1 chirurgeon, 1 chirurgeon's mate, 1 drum-
major, 1 piper, 42 drummers, 63 Serjeants, 63 cor-
porals, and 1050 private soldiers. The privilege of
having two lieutenants and three Serjeants to each com-
pany appears to have been peculiar to this regiment ; and
a warrant of King James II., dated the 1st of January,

1686 1686, directs that " As any of the lieutenants of the
" Royal Regiment shall die, or be displaced, their
" number be reduced to one lieutenant only in each
" company of this regiment ; and that as the Serjeants
" shall die, or be displaced, they be in the same manner
" reduced to two in each company."*

On the 1st of March, 1686, a second adjutant and a
second surgeon's mate were added to the establishment,
and the regiment was again divided into two battalions ;
the first battalion consisting of eleven, and the second of
ten companies ; and in April the second battalion em-
barked at Gravesend for Scotland. At the same time the
whole of the first battalion was placed in garrison at
Portsmouth, from whence it marched in June following
to the vicinity of Hounslow, and on the 24th of that
month erected its tents on the heath, where about twelve
thousand men were encamped, under the orders of Lieut. -
Generals the Earls of Feversharo and Dumbarton, and

* VVar-Ottice Estublisluiicnt Book.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

were frequently exercised in presence of the royal family. 1686
In July, four companies marched from Hounslow Heath,
and encamped near Tunbridge Wells, to attend the
Princess Anne (afterwards Queen Anne) during her resi-
dence at that place ; and in August the battalion struck
its tents, and marched to Yarmouth and Bungay, with a
detachment at Landguard-Fort, where it passed the
winter.

From these quarters the first battalion was removed in 1687
the spring of 1687 to the vicinity of London, where it
halted a few days, and afterwards proceeded to Ports-
mouth, and passed the summer months in that garrison.
In the autumn it marched into Yorkshire ; and the men
were employed during the winter in working on the forti-
fications at Hull.

In April, 1688, the first battalion was recalled from i688
Yorkshire, and was stationed at Greenwich, Woolwich,
and Deptford, until the 26th of June, when it encamped
on Hounslow Heath.

In the meantime the second battalion had marched
from Scotland to York. In August it proceeded to
Hertford and Ware ; and in September to Gravesend,
where the first battalion had previously arrived from
Hounslow Heath ; and the two battalions being again
united, occupied Gravesend, Tilbury-Fort, Sheerness,
and other places along the banks of the Thames and the
coast of Kent.

At this period the nation was violently agitated by
political events. The King, being a roman catholic,
and being guided by Jesuitical councils, and countenanced
and encouraged by a few families of the same persuasion,
was attempting to effect the subversion of the established
religion and laws. At the same time many noblemen
and gentlemen who felt the greatest concern for the wel-
fare of their country hiul invited the Prince of Orange to

THK FIRST, OR ROYAL

1688 come to England with a Dutch army to aid them in re-
sisting the proceedings of the court. Thus the kingdom
was divided against itself, and men were looking forward,
with a mixed feeling of hope, terror, and consternation,
to the great convulsion which threatened the State. The
King made preparations to avert the danger, and aug-
mented his army, when the Royal Regiment was in-
creased to 26 companies, and the total strength to 1858
oflScers and soldiers, each battalion having now a grena-
dier company.

In the early part of November, the Dutch fleet having
sailed past Dover, the Royal Regiment was ordered to
the west ; and when the Prince of Orange had landed at
Torbay and advanced to Exeter, it proceeded to War-
minster, which was the most advanced post of the royal
army. The head-quarters were at Salisbury, and King
James reviewed his army on Salisbury Plain on the 21st
of November. But his Majesty found that his conduct
had alienated the aflTections not only of his subjects in
general, but of the officers and soldiers of his army, many
of whom forsook his camp and joined the Prince of
Orange. Yet, while many of the nobility and gentry,
with officers and soldiers from almost every regiment in
the army, were quitting the King's standard daily, the
Royal Regiment of Foot was an exception ; it preserved
its ranks entire, and stood with an unshaken loyalty
amidst the general defection which prevailed in the king-
dom.

When the King ordered his forces to retire towards
London, the Royal Regiment marched, first to Devizes,
and afterwards to Windsor, where it arrived on the 29th
of November. The desertions continuing, the King sent
orders to Lieut.-General the ii arl of Feversham to make
no further resistance to the Prince of Orange, and his
Majesty afterwards attempted to effijct Iv'^ escape to

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

France. These orders produced much confusion. Several 1688
corps were disbanded ; and the men spreading themselves
in parties over the country, committed many disorders.
The Royal Regiment, however, appears to have been
equally conspicuous for good order as for loyalty, and
continued at its post of duty until directed by the Prince
of Orange to march to Oxford.

Although the King failed in his first attempt to escape
to France, yet he afterwards succeeded, and having been
followed by the Earl of Dumbarton, the Colonel of the
Royal Regiment, the Prince of Orange conferred the
Colonelcy on one of his most distinguished officers,
Marshal Frederick De Schomberg, afterwards Duke
Schomberg.

After these events had transpired, a convention was IfiSO
assembled, which declared the throne abdicated and
vacant, and conferred the sovereignty on William and
Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange. Many of the
officers and men of the Royal Regiment were, however,
not satisfied with the new arrangements. Their regiment
had been King James's favourite corps, on account of its
antiquity, valour, and good conduct, and its having served
with his Majesty in France, when he was an exile. Hav-
ing preserved their loyalty to the last, the officers and
men did not expect much favour from the new king. At
the same time they were not pleased that a foreigner.
Marshal Schomberg, though an officer of distinguished
merit, should be placed at the head of a national Scots
corps. Wliile these feelings were prevalent in the breasts
of the officers and men, the regiment received orders to
embark for the Netherlands to replace the Dutch troops
which were in England. This order was considered pre-
mature : the national assembly in Scotland had not
declared for King William, and the Scots officers and

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1689 soldiers did not consider themselves bound to obey the
commands of a king who had not been acknowledged in
Scotland. Under this impression a number of officers
and men mutinied, and, seizing the money appointed for
their pay, marched with four pieces of cannon towards
Scotland. At the same time the Royal Regiment of Scots
Horse, commanded by Major-General Viscount Dundee,
deserted from its quarters at Abingdon, and proceeded in
the same direction.* The King sent Major-General Sir
John Lanier with his own (now the First Dragoon Guards),
and Colonel Langston's regiment of horse, and Lieut. -
General De Ginkell (afterwards Earl of Athlone) with
three regiments of Dutch dragoons, in pursuit of the
mutineers ; and these troops having overtaken the men
of the Royal Regiment in Lincolnshire, about twenty
officers and five hundred men, who had previously
become convinced of their error, laid down their arms
and submitted themselves to the King's clemency. King
William IIL is reported to have repeatedly expressed his
admiration of the firm loyalty and attachment evinced by
the officers and soldiers of the Royal Regiment to their
former sovereign, when he was forsaken by almost every
other person ; and the King, after dismissing three or
four officers, pardoned the remainder of the regiment, and
ordered the first battalion to be completed to its establish-

* Sir John Dalrymple, and several other historians who wrote
many years after these events occurred, have mistaken the Royal
Regiment of Scots Horse for the Royal Regiment of Scots Dra-
goons, now the 2nd or Royal North British Dragoons, or Scots
Greys; but the latter regiment did not mutiny. The Scots Horse
escaped to Scotland, and many of them joined the Highlanders
in their resistance to King William III. ; and the regiment was
taken oft' the establishment of the army and was not afterwards
restored.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

ment from the second, and to proceed to its original 1689
destination.

The second battalion of the Royal Regiment having
transferred its serviceable men to the first, proceeded to
Scotland ; and the first battalion embarked for the
Netherlands, where it arrived in the beginning of May,
1689, and joined the Dutch camp at Tongi-es in the early
part of June. The British troops were commanded by
the Earl of Marlborough,* and the combined army by
Prince Waldeck. The Royals were employed in several
operations ; and on the 25th of August they took part in
a sharp action with the French troops commanded by
Marshal d'Humieres, at JValcourt, in the province of
Namur. The enemy attacked a foraging-party, and this
brought on a sharp action, in which the British infantry
evinced firmness and intrepidity, particularly a detach-
ment under Colonel Robert Hodges ;f and the French
were repulsed with considerable loss.

During the winter, the second battalion of the Royal

* List of troops sent to the Netherlands, in 1689, under the
Earl of Marlborough : —
Second troop of Guards, now 2nd Regiment of Life Guards.
Royal Regiment of Horse Guards.
One Battalion of the 2nd Foot Guards.

One Battalion of the Scots Foot Guards, now 3rd Foot Guards.
One Battalion of the Royal Regiment.

Prince George of Denmark's Regiment, now 3rd Foot, or the
Bufts.

Royal Fusiliers, now 7th Royal Fusiliers.
Col. John Hales' Regiment, afterwards disbanded.
„ Sir David Collier's ,, „ ,,

„ Robert Hodges* ,, now 16th Foot.
„ Edwd. Fitzi)atrick's ,, afterwards disbanded.
,, FergusD.O'Ffarrel's,, now 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers.
+ This officer commanded the Grenadier Company of the
Royal Regiment when it was raised in 1678 ; and frequently dis-
tinguished himself against the Moors at Tangier in 1680. In
October, 1688, Licut.-Col. Archibald Douglas of the Royal Regi-

THE FIRST, OK ROYAL

1690 Regiment, having recruited its ranks, was sent from Scot-
land to Holland ; and in the summer of 1690 both batta-
lions took the field. On the 21st of June, the regiment
was on its march to Brussels ; but Prince Waldeck, with-
out waiting for the arrival of the British troops, engaged
the French at Fleurus, and was defeated. This disaster
reduced the combined army to the necessity of limiting
its operations, and acting on the defensive during the
remainder of the campaign.

On the 1st of July, 1690, Marshal Duke Schomberg
was killed at the battle of the Boyne in Ireland ; and the
Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment remained vacant until

1691 the 5th of March, 1691, when it was conferred by King
William III. on Lieut.-Colonel Sir Robert Douglas.

The regiment having been withdrawn from its winter
quarters in the month of March, 1691, was encamped at
Halle, in South Brabant, where the first battalion was
formed in brigade with the Scots Foot Guards, and the
regiments of Ramsay, Angus, Mackay, and Hodges ; and
the second battalion was posted, with O'Ffarrel's regi-
ment, between two divi?ions of Dutch infantry.* The
French besieged Mons, and the confederates being unable
to relieve the place, the garrison surrendered on the 31st
of March, when the French troops went into quarters.

After the surrender of Mons, the Royal Regiment was
sent into garrison, from whence it was withdrawn in May,
and was encamped near Brussels, and both battalions
were formed in one brigade with the SccU rec^iments of
Mackay, Ramsay, O'Ffarrel, and Angus, Tirsd' '• *!' ' orders

ment was appointed Colonel of a newly-raised regiment, now the
16th Foot ; and was succeeded in December of the same year by
Lieut.-Col. Hodges, from the Rotal Regiment, who was killed at
fVc battle of Steenkirk.

* D'Anvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

of Brigadier-General Ramsay. The summer was passed 1691
by the opposing armies in manoeuvring on the rich plains
of the Netherlands; and in October the tn^ops marched
into quarters for the winter.

In the spring of 1692, Louis XIV. marched into the 1692
Netherlands with an immense army and besieged Namur,
when the Royal Regiment was called from its canton-
ments, and advanced with the army, commanded by
iivir>p; William III. in person, to the relief of the place ;
L[r, aie march having been delayed by heavy rains, the
garrison surrendered on the 20th of June. On the 23rd
of that month, Colonel Sir Robert Douglas, with 2 cap-
tains, 2 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, and 120 private men,
of the Royal Regiment, was detached, with other
troops, to attempt the surprise of Mons. After march-
ing all night, the detachment arrived about one o'clock
on the following morning within a short distance of the
town, when the troops were ordered to halt, and Sir
Robert Douglas and Colonel O'Ffarrel, having proceeded
to consult with the Prince of Wirtemberg, who com-
manded the party, mistook their way in the dark, and
fell into the hands of a detachment of French cavalry,
and were made prisoners. The enemy being found pre-
pared to resist, the detachment returned to the camp at
Melle, and Sir Robert Douglas was released on payment
of the regulated ransom, and rejoined the regiment on
the 29th of June.

After several changes of position. King William re-
solved to attack the French army commanded by Marshal
Luxembourg, at its camp, near Steenkirk. On the even-
ing of the 23rd of July (O.S.), the first battalion of the
Royal Regiment, commanded by Sir Robert Douglas,
the second battalion of the 1st Foot Guards, with the
regiments of Fitzpatrick and O'Ffarrel, and two bat-

THK FIRST, OR ROYAL

1692 talions of Danes, were ordered forward to commence the
attack on the French army, and were accompanied by a
detachment from each battalion of Brigadier-General
Churchill's brigade, with hatchets and spades to make a
passage through the woody grounds between the two
armies. Between ten and eleven o'clock on the following
morning these troops arrived in front of the French camp,
and took post in a thick wood, beyond which there was
a small valley intersected with hedges lined with French
infantry, and on the opposite side of the valley appeared
the French camp. About eleven o'clock two batteries
opened their fire upon the enemy ; and when the main
body of the army had arrived within a mile of the wood,
the leading regiments issued from amongst the trees and
commenced the attack. " Certainly never was a more
" dreadful and at 'the same time bolder firing heard,
" which for the space of two hours seemed to be a con-
" tinned thunder. Our van-guard behaved in this en-
" gagement to such wonder and admiration, that though
" they received the charge of several battalions of the
" enemy, one after another, yet they made them retreat
" almost to their very camp."* Amongst the foremost
in this action was seen the brave Sir Robert Douglas at
the head of the first battalion of the Royal Regiment,
emulating the noblest actions recorded in the annals of
war. Having led his battalion against the troops behind
tlic first hedge, he soon cleared it of French combatants,
and drove one of the enemy's battalions from the field in
confusion. A second hedge was attacked and carried by
the gallant Scots in a few moments : — a third was as-
saulted, — the French stood their ground,— the combatants
fought muzzle to muzzle, — and again the Royals proved

D'Aiivorprno.

'n.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

victorious, and the third hedge was won. The toil of 1692
conflict did not cool the ardour of the veteran Scots ; but
forward they rushed with a loud huzza, and attacked the
troops which lined the fourth hedge. Here the fighting
was severe ; but eventually the Royals overthrew a
fourth French battalion, and drove a crowd of combatants
from their cannon.* In this conflict the first battalion
lost one of its three colours. Sir Robert Douglas, seeing
the colour on the other side of the hedge, leaped through
a gap, slew the French officer who bore the colour, and r
cast it over the hedge to his own men ; but this act of^
gallantry cost him his life, a French marksman havingv
shot him dead on the spot while in the act of repassing '^
the hedge. " Thus the Scots commander improved upon
" the Roman general ; for the brave Posthumius cast his
" standard in the middle of the enemy for his soldiers to
" retrieve ; but Douglas retrieved his from the middle of
" the enemy, without any assistance, and cast it back to
" his soldiers to retain."t While the leading regiments ..•;
were thus carrying all before them, the main body of the
army was a mile in the rear, and could not be brought
up in time to sustain the corps in advance : the Royals
and other regiments of the advance-guard, after display-
ing a degree of constancy and valour seldom equalled,
were forced to retire ; and eventually the army retreated
to its camp.

The loss of the regiment in this action has not been
ascertained. Mention has, however, been made in his-

* " The bravery of our men was extraordinary, and admired by
•' all ; ten battalions of ours having engaged above thirty of the
•' Frenrh at one time, and Sir Robert Douglas, at the head of one
" battalion of his own regiment, having driven /onr battalions of
•' the enemy from their cannon." — London Qazette.
t Memoirs of Captain George Carlcton.

THK PiRSt, OR ROYAL

1692 tory of two Captains, viz. Mackraken and Levingston,
of the Royal Regiment, who were killed ; and from the
returns published at the tine, the brigade to which the
regiment belonged lost 6 field officers, 14 captains,
24 subalterns, and 507 men killed ; and 6 field officers,
20 captains, 32 subalterns, and 608 men wounded* ;
and doubtless a number of these belonged to the Royal
Regiment.

A few days after the battle. King William conferred
the Colonelcy on Lord George Hamilton (afterwards Earl
of Orkney) from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

On the 2nd of August, a detachment of the Royal
Regiment, commanded by Captain Rowland Mackenzie,
was engaged with a party of French troopers in a wood
near the camp, and took twenty prisoners.t Towards
the end of September the regiment marched from the
camp to Bruges, from whence parties were detached to
Scotland to procure recruits.

1693 Having passed the winter at Bruges, where the losses
of the preceding campaign were replaced by recruits
from Scotland, the re^raent marched out of its quarters
towards the end of April, 1693, and pitched its tents on
the levels near the town, from whence it proceeded to
the villages near Brussels, where it arrived on the 13th
of May. On the 17th, it marched out of its village can-
tonments and joined the camp at Dieghem, from whence
it subsequently marched to Parck camp in front of
Louvaine, and had its post on the heights near Birbeck.
Here it was stationed until the early part of July, when
the army advanced, and, after several marches, the regi-
ment was in position on the 18th of July, near the village

* The General History of Euroiic.
t D' Auvergne.

r/' •

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

of Neer-Winden, in South Brabant. The first battalion 1693
had its post in the village of Neer-Landen, near the left
of the line, and its grenadier company occupied a strong
building at the head of the village. The second battalion
was stationed on the right of the village, where a slight
entrenchment was made during the night.

On the morning of the 19th of July, when the first
rays of light appeared, a French army, commanded by
Marshal Luxembourg, of nearly double the numbers of
the confederates under King William, was discovered in
order of battle within cannon-shot of the position. The
batteries instantly opened their fire, and, about eight
o'clock, six French brigades attacked the post at Laer
and Neer-Winden, but were repulsed. The enemy next
attacked the village of Neer-Landen with four brigades,*
and the first battalion of the Royal Regiment stood its
ground manfully. The French came rushing to the
attack with great fury, but the head of their column was
pierced by a shower of musket balls, and the killed and
wounded crowded the street, while the grenadiers of the
Royal Regiment threw their grenades, with unerring
aim, from the windows of the house they occupied. The
French, however, pressed forward, and the battalion,
being unable to resist the host of combatants which
assailed it, was forced to retire ; at the same time the
house occupied by the grenadiers was set on fire. At
this moment the Queen Dowager's Regiment (now 2nd
Foot, or Queen's Royal) advanced to the assistance of
the Royals, and the two battalions renewed the fight

* The French brigades, which attacked the post occupied by the
first battalion of tlie Royal Regiment, were those of Bourbonnois,
Lyonnois, Anjoii, and Artois, and King James' lioyal Regiment, or
Irish Guards, \^ ere among't theui. — (D'Auvergne.)

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1693 with great bravery. Prince Frederick's and Fagel's
Dutch regiments also advanced to support the two
British battalions ; at the same time King William came
galloping to that part of the field, and his presence in-
spired the combatants with new ardour. The French
disputed the ground for some time, but after a fierce
conflict of about two hours* duration, they gave way, and
were driven through the defile into the plain ; and the
Royal and Queen Dowager's battalions, which had
fought together at Tangier in Africa, stood triumphs nt
at the end of the village, and were thanked for their
gallantry by the King. Notwithstanding this success,
the fortune of the day turned eventually in favour of the
French, who carried the village of Neer-Winden, and
broke into the King's camp, when their superiority of
numbers gave them a decided advantage. The Royals
were withdrawn from their post ; and the King ordered
a retreat, which was effected with difficulty, and was
attended with great loss. The loss of the enemy was,
however, so great, that he derived little advantage from
this victory, excepting the power of besieging Charleroi,
which was taken in the autumn. The loss of the Royal
Regiment does not appear to have been great ; the only
officers »f this corps mentioned by D'Auvergne amongst
the killed and wounded are — Captain Young died of his
wounds, with Captain Sir James Cockburn, Lieutenants
Brown and Blake, and Ensign White wounded. In
October the regiment marched to Bruges, and parties
were again sent to Scotland to procure recruits to replace
the loss sustained during this campaign.

1694 On the 18th of May, 1694, the first battalion marched
out of its winter quarters, and on the following day
encamped near Ghent ; and, resuming its march on the
2l8t, proceeded to the general rendezvous of the army

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

near Louvaine, where it arrived on the 28th of that 1694
month.

Meanwhile, the second battalion remained in garrison
at Bruges, and in June it marched out of the town and
encamped along the banks of the canal towards Ghent,
where a small army of observation was assembled under
the orders of the Spanish general. Count de Merode
Thian.

The first battalion marched with the army commanded
by King William in person, from the vicinity of Louvaine,
on the 13th of July, and was afterwards encamped at
Mont St. Andre. In the middle of August the King
attempted by a forced march to cross the enemy's lines
and penetrate into French Flanders ; but the French, by
extraordinary exertions, gained the pass first, and thus
preserved their country from an invasion.

Towards the end of August the second battalion
quitted its post on the Bruges Canal, and joined the first
battalion at the camp at Rousselaer ; and both battalions
formed part of the covering army during the period the
Prussians and Dutch were engaged in the siege of Huy,
and the men, having to remain in the fields in wet weather,
erected huts of wood and straw. Huy surrendered on
the 17th of September, and in October the Royal
Regiment returned to its former station at Bruges.

Having passed the winter and spring in convenient 1695
quarters, the Royal Regiment again took the field on
the 26th of May, 1695; and on the 21st of June the
first battalion, commanded by Colonel Lord George
Hamilton, was detached to engage in the siege of the
strong fortress of Namiir ; at the same time, the second
battalion remained with the covering army, commanded
by the Prince of Vaudcmont, encamped near the river Lys.

Namur was, at this period, deemed almost impregnable,

THE FIRST, OR ROTAf.

1695 and the garrison, consisting of twenty battalions of in-
fantry, and twenty-four squadrons of dragoons, was
commanded by Marshal Boufflers, an officer celebrated
for bravery and perseverance ; a vigorous defence was
consequently anticipated.

The first battalion of the Royal Regiment was sta-
! tioned for several days at Templeux, a post about five
miles from Namur, and on the 8th of July it took its
station in the lines of circumvallatlon, and was ordered
to take part in an assault upon the covered-way near the
hill of Bouge, on the same evening. The signal for the
attack was given about seven o'clock, when the Foot
Guards advanced boldly up to the enemy's palisades,
and placed the muizzles of their muskets between the
staves, fired a volley which put the French into some
confusion. The palisades were afterwards broken, and
the troops rushed forward to attack the second covered-
way. During the first attack the Royals supported the
Dutch Foot Guards, but when the first palisades were
broken down, the Scots rushed furiously forward with
the Foot Guards, the second covered-way was carried,
the French were overpowered, driven fi'om their works,
and chased amongst the batteries on the brow of the hill,
and many of them sought a refuge from the fiiry of their
assailants in the stone pits. The Royals gained great
credit for their conduct on this occasion ; and had Cap-
tains Sanderron and Dixon, Lieutenant Fenefather, and
Ensign Cockburn, killed ; and Colonel Lord George
Hamilton, Captain Hamilton, and Ensigns Carre and
Vernal, wounded.

On the 10th of July the battalion was on duty in the
trenches, and as it marched out on the following day
Major Macilivan was killed by a cannon-ball from the
castle of Namur : on the same day its Colonel was pro-

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

moted to the rank of Brigadier-General. The battalion l^.b
was again on duty in the trenches on the 13th of July ;
and on the evening of the 17th it was engaged in storming
the counterscarp. The attack was commenced by the
grenadiers, who rushed to the glacis, cast their grenades
over the palisade^ into the covered-way, and, following
up this attack with spirit, the troops carried the counter-
scarp in gallant style.

An assault was made on the 23rd of July, on the
covered-way and traverses between the bastion of St.
Roche and the Porte de Fer, and the first battalion of
the Royal Regiment formed part of the storming party.
The attack was made a little before sunset, and, after a
sharp contest, a lodgment was effected. The only loss
sustained by the battalion in this service appears to have
been Lieutenant Archibald Hamilton and a few private
men wounded. The Dutch and Brandenburgers were
also successful at their points of attack, and on the 24th
of July, when preparations were making for another
assault, the garrison hoisted a white flag, and agreed to
surrender the tovra, which was delivered up on the fol-
lowing day, when the garrison retired into the castle,
where they resolved to defend themselves to the last ex-
tremity.

After the surrender of the town of Namur the first
battalion of the Royal Regiment marched from the lines
of circumvallation to Genappe, where a small force was
assembled under the Earl of Athlone to co-operate with
the covering army ; Captain Burgh and Lieutenant
Wallis of the Royals, however, remained with the forces
engaged in the siege of the castle, in the capacity of
engineers. From Genappe the first battalion marched
to the village of Waterloo, and there pitched its tents.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1695 Meanwhile, the second battalion had been engaged in
several movements for the preservation of Ghent, Bruges,
and the maritime towns of Flanders, and was, at this
period, encamped near Brussels. The confederate army
being thus divided, part carrying on the siege of the
castle of Namur, and the remainder stationed in various
places in the Netherlands, the French commander.
Marshal Villeroy, having assembled an immense army,
advanced to Brussels and bombarded the city ; he after-
wards marched towards Namur, with the design of
raising the siege of the castle ; when both battalions of
the Royal Regiment, with the remainder of the co' cring
army, proceeded to the vicinity of Namur, and ""took up
a position to cover the siege. This position the Fi*ench
commander did not venture to attack, and the siege of
the castle was prosecuted with vigour. On the 20th of
August, the grenadier companies of the Royal Regi-
ment quitted the covering army to take part in an assault
upon the castle, and were engaged in ji irraing the coun-
terscarp and breach of the Terra Nova, under the orders
of Lord Cutts. This proved a severe and sanguinary
service ; the assailants and defenders fought with distin-
guished bravery, and, although the castle was not carried,
yet several lodgments were effected. The Ro\ als had
Lieutenant William Hamilton and several men killed,
and others wounded ; Lieutenant Archibald Hamilton,
who was wounded in the third attack on the town, was
again wounded on this occasion. Preparations were
afterwards made for a second assault, when the garrison
surrendered, and marched out on the 26th of August
(O.S.) Thus this important conquest was effected, and
the military reputation of King William was elevated ;
at the same time, new lustre was reflected on the confe-

REGIMENT OP FOOT.

derate arms. The summer having been spent in making 1695
this capture, after the works were repaired, the Royals
marched back to Bruges.

In this city they passed the winter, and the losses of 1696
the preceding campaign were replaced. On the 9th of
May, 1696, they marched out of Bruges, and pitched
their tents along the banks of the canal towards Ghent ;
and having received their new clothing from England a
few days before, they were reviewed, with several other
corps, on the 16th of May, by the Prince of Vaudemont,
and on the 28th by King William, and their appearance
and discipline excited admiration..

The regiment passed this summer in camp along the
banks of the Bruges canal, having its post on the right
of the bridge at Mary-Kirk ; and in the autumn it again
proceeded into quarters at Bruges, where five regiments
of cavalry and eleven of infantry were stationed during
the winter.

In the spring of 1697, when the Royal Regiment 1697
took the field, four companies were left in garrison at
Bruges, where they remained during the summer. The
remainder of the regiment marched to Brussels in the
early part of March, and advanced from thence on the
12th of April to Waterloo, where a camp was formed of
four English and eight Dutch battalions. The regiment
was subsequently engaged in the several operations of
the main army under King William ; during the latter
part of the month of May and the beginning of June
it was encamped, with the army, on the plain of Bois-
Seigneur-Isaac, and was stationed in front of the King's
quarter ; in the middle of June it marched to the vicinity
of Brussels, and was encamped before that city until the
war was terminated by the treaty of Ryswick, which was

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1697 signed during the night between the 10th and 11th of
September, 1697.

After the conclusion of the peace of Ryswick the
Royal Regiment marched from Brussels to Ghent, and

1698 during the winter it embarked for Ireland ; at the same
time a reduction of four companies was made in the esta-

1699 blishment. A further reduction was subsequently made,
and in a warrant under the sign manual, bearing date the
1st of May, 1699, the numbers of the regiment are fixed
at 22 companies of 3 officers, 2 Serjeants, 2 corporals, 1
drummer, and 34 private men each.*

1700 Events transpired in Europe at the close of the year
1700 which occasioned the regiment to be again placed
on a war establishment and sent on foreign service.

These events were the decease of Charles II., King of
Spain, on the 1st of November, 1700, without issue, and
the accession of Philip Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis
XIV. of France, to the throne of Spain, in violation of
existing treaties, and to the prejudice of the house of
Austria. Several European states being averse to the
accession either of an Austrian or Bourbon prince to the
throne of the Spanish monarchy, a partition had been
contemplated ; but the sudden acquisition of the domi-
nions of Spain by a grandson of the most potent and
ambitious monarch in Europe, with the prospect of
France and Spain being eventually united under one
sovereign, rendered the partition-treaty abortive, agi-
tated the public mind, and produced a sensation of
alarm throughout the greater part of Christendom.

1701 The interest of every state being affected by the change
in the dynasty of Spain, the standing armies were aug-

* Official Records in Ireland.

REGIMENT OF FOOT. |||)

mented, and, while the din of hostile preparation was 1701
heard on every side, negotiations were commenced with
the view of preventing a war. The French monarch,
however, sent a body of troops to take possession of
the Spanish Netherlands, and detained 15,000 Dutch,
who, in virtue of a convention with Spain, formed the
garrisons of the barrier towns. The loss of so large a
body of their best troops, with the advance of a French
army towards their frontiers, alarmed the States General
of the United Provinces, and King William sent thirteen
British battalions to Holland to assist the Dutch.

The Royal Regiment, having been augmented to
24 companies of 3 oflBcers, 3 Serjeants, 3 corporals, 2
drummers, and 59 private men each, was one of the
corps selected to proceed on foreign service ; it accordingly
embarked at the Cove of Cork on the 15th of June,
1701, in two ships of war, and sailing on the following
day, arrived at Helvoetsluys, on the island of Voorn, in
South Holland, on the 8th of July. Here the English
troops were removed from the ships of war on board of
Dutch vessels, and sailed up the river Maese to the se-
veral garrisons of Breda, Gertruydenberg, Huesden,
Worcum, Gorcum, and Borsch. From these stations
they were recalled in the middle of September to the
vicinity of Breda, and encamped on Breda Heath, where
they were reviewed on the 21st of that month by King
William, and afterwards returned to their former stations.*

Meanwhile the death of King James II. had occurred
at St. Germain in France, and Louis XIV. caused the
Pretender to be proclaimed King of England, Scotland,
and Ireland. This indignity offered to the British

* Millner's Journal of the Marches, Battles, and Sieges of the
British troops on the Continent from 1 701 to 1712.

THK FIRST, OR ROYAL

noi sovereign and nation aroused the indignation of the
people ; the army was again augmented, and in the
following spring additional forces were sent to Holland.

1'702 The Royal Regiment, having passed the winter
amongst the Dutch, quitted its cantonments on the 10th
of March, and proceeded to Rosendael, where the British
infantry assembled and encamped under the orders of
Brigadier-General Ingoldsby. Herp the troops received
information of the death of King William III. on the
8th of March, and of the accession of Queen Anne.
They also learnt that Her Majesty was resolved to pro-
secute the war with vigour, and the officers and soldiers
took the oath of allegiance to the Queen.

In the middle of April a strong fortress on the Lower
Rhine called Kayserswerth, which was occupied by the
French, was besieged by the Germans, and a hyf days
afterwards the Royal and other British corps quitting
their camp at Rosendael, marched across the country
to the Duchy of Cleves, where they joined a body of
Dutch and Germans under the Earl of Athlone, and en-
camped at Cranenburg on the Lower Rhine to cover the
siege. While the Royal Regiment lay with the army
at this camp, a French force of superior numbers, com-
manded by the Duke of Burgundy and Marshal Bouf-
flers, traversed the forest of Cleves, and advanced through
the plains of Goch to cut off the communication of the
allied army with Grave and Nimeguen. In consequence
of this movement, the allied army struck its tents a little
before sunset on the 10th of June, and having continued
its retreat throughout the night, arrived about eight
o'clock on the following morning within a few miles of
Nimcf/uen, at the same t ie the French columns ap-
peared on both flanks and in the rear, marching with all
possible exi)edition to surround the allies. Some sharp

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

;he
the

skirmishing occurred ; the Royals, Foot Guards, and 1102
other British corps forming the rear guard, behaved with
distinguished gallantry, and having taken possession of
some hedges and buildings, held the enemy in check
while '..he army effected its retrecl under the works of
Nimeguen : in three days afterwards Kayserswerth
surrendered.

In the meantime additional forces had arrived from
England, and the Earl of Marlborough assumed the
command of the British, Dutch, and auxiliary troops.
The French had, at this period, overrun the Duchy of
Cleves, and were menacing the frontiers of Holland ;
but when the Earl of Marlborough had assembled the
troops of the several nations, he advanced against the
enemy, and by skilful movements forced the French
commanders to rotire. Tlie Royals formed part of the
force under the Earl of Marlborough, and were engaged
in several movements designed to bring on a general
action, which the enemy avoided. In September the
regiment was encamped a few miles from Maestricht, and
formed part of the covering army during the siege of
Venloo, a town in the province of Limburg, on the cast
side of the river Maese, which surrendered on the 25th
of September. In a few days after the capture of this
place, the siege of Ruremonde was undertaken ; at the
same time one battalion of the Royal Regiment, com-
manded by Brigadier-General the Earl of Orkney, was
detached, with other troops, from the main army near
Maestricht to besiege Stcvcnswart, or Fort St. Eticnne,
situated on a small island in the river Maese, nineteen
miles from Maestricht. Two batteries opened a sharp
fire against the fort in the beginning of October, and at
daybreak on tlie morning of the; third of that month the
troo])a reared their ladders against the walls and began
to ascend to attack the pljico sword in hand, when the

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1*702 garrison beat a parley and surrendered. The battalion
of the Royal Regiment rejoined the army on the 6th of
October, and Ruremonde surrendered on the same day.
On the tenth, at one o'clock in the morning, the main
army struck its tents and advanced in two columns to-
wards the city of Liege, and at four in the afternoon
encamped near the works. The French set the suburb
of St. Walburgh on fire, and retired into the citadel and
Chartreuse, when the magistrates delivered up the city,
and the army commenced the siege of the citadel, which
was taken by storm on the 23rd of October ; the British
grenadiers and fusiliers engaged in the assault highly
distinguished themselves, and had 154 officers and sol-
diers killed, and 380 wounded. The Chartreuse surren-
dered a few days afterwards ; and these conquests termi-
nated the campaign. The British troops quitted the
pleasant valley of Liege on the 3rd of November, and
marched to Tongres, where they halted one day, and
afterwards continued their route to Holland ; the Royal
Regiment proceeded to Breda, in which city it appears
to have passed the winter in garrison, together with a
battalion of Foot Guards and two or three other corps.

n03 Leaving these quarters towards the end of April,
1703, the Royal Regiment traversed the country to the
vicinity of Maestricht. Meanwhile the Dutch and Ger-
mans were besieging Bonn, a strong town on the Rhine ;
and the French commanders. Marshal Villeroy and Bouf-
flers, thinking to take advantage of the dispersed state of
the army, made a sudden advance to surprise the troops
in their quarters. Tl-.e first attack was made on two
British regiments* at Tongres, a town surrounded by
a wall and defended by a few dilapidated towers ; these

• Portmoro'8, now 2nd or Qii'.'cn's Royals, and Elsts, alTtorwards
disbanded.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

regiments, however, defended themselves upwards of 1703
twenty-four hours before they surrendered. While the
contest was in progress at Tongres, the Royals, with a
number of other corps, struck their tents, and proceeding
to Maestricht, formed in order of battle near the works ;
the French commanders advanced and reconnoitred the
position, and, after a sharp cannonade, retreated to
Tongres.

Bonn surrendered in the middle of May, and the army
was afterwards assembled in the vicinity of Maestricht,
where the first battalion of the Roval Pegiment was
formed in brigade with the battalion of Foot Guards,
and the regiments of Stewart, Howe, Ingoldsby, and
Marlborough,* under the orders of Brigadier General
Withers ; and the second battalion with the regiments of
North and Grey, Derby, Row, and Ferguson, f under
the command of Brigadier-General the Earl of Derby.
On the 24th of May the army advanced towards Ton-
gres, when the French quitted their post and made a
precipitate retreat, and the confederates encamped at
Thys. The army subsequently made several movements
for the purpose of bringing on a general engagement,
which the French avoided, and took post behind their
fortified lines, where the Duke of MARLnoRouoH was
desirous of attacking them, but was prevented by the
Dutch generals and field deputies. In August the army
advanced to //«//, a strong fortress on the Maese above
the city of Liege, which was besieged and captured in
ten days. Another proposal to attack the French lines
was declined by the Dutch ; and the main army after
wards advanced to St. Trond ; at the same time a detach -

• Now the 9tli, 16th, 23i(l, and 24th ReginicnU.
t Now the 10th, 16th, 2l8t, and 26th Ilvgiments.

THE FIRST. OR ROYAL

1 703 ment invested Limhurg, a city of the Spanish Nether-
lands situated on a pleasant eminence amongst the woods
near the banks of the little river Wesdet. The siege of
this place was commenced on the 10th of September,
and on the 27th the governor, with a garrison of 1400
men, surrendered at discretion. Thus Spanish Guelder-
land was delivered from the power of France, and the
Dutch were freed from the dread of an invasion. The
capture of Limburg was followed by the separation of
the army for the winter ; the Royal Regiment struck its
tents on the 10th of October, and proceeded to the neigh-
bourhood of Tongres, where it halted ten days, and
afterwards continued its march through the province of
Limburg to Holland.

While the army, of which the Royal Regiment formed
part, was engaged in operations in the Netherlands, the
Elector of Bavaria took arms against the Emperor of
Germany ; and a French force commanded by Marshal
Villiers having traversed the Black Forest and joined the
Bavarians, the united armies were making considerable
progress in the heart of Germany. This event occasioned
the Royals, with a great portion of the English and
Dutch forces under the Duke of Marlborough, to transfer
their services from the Low Countries to Germany, to
arrest vhe progress of the French and Bavarians.
1704 Previous to quitting the Netherlands, the regiment
sent a detachment of six hundred men to Maestricht to
garrison that city, while the Dutch troops were working
at the entrenchments on the heights of Petersberg. In
the early part of May, 1704, the remainder of the regi-
ment marched from its winter quarters towards the Rhine,
and was joined at Bedburg by the detachment from
Maestricht. On the 19tli of May the army directed its
marcli from Redlmrg along the course of the Rhine to-

KBOIMENT OP FOOT.

wards the Moselle, and traversed both rivers at Coblentz no4
on the 25th and 26th of that month ; thence proceeding
towards the Maine, arrived at the suburbs of Mentz in
the beginning of June ; the cavalry being in advance with
the Duke of Marlborough, the infantry and artillery
a few stages in the rear under General Charles Churchill.
From the Maine the infantry directed its march through
the Landgraviate of Hesse, towards the Neckar, passed
this river on the 15 th of June, and proceeding in the
direction of the Danube, was soon afterwards at the seat
of war in Germany, and co-operating with the forces of
the empire.

On the 2nd of July, at three o'clock in the morning,
the army marched in the direction of Donawerth, to
attack a body of French and Bavarians under the Count
d'Arco, in an entrenched camp on the heights of Schel-
lenberg, on the left bank of the Danube. After tra-
versing a diflBcult tract of country, the troops crossed the
river Wemitz and arrived in front of the enemy's camp ,
and about six in the evening the leading division, con-
sisting of a detachment from each British regiment, with
the Foot Guards, Royals, and Ingoldsby's regiment
(23rd), commanded by Brigadier-General Fergusson,
and a Dutch force under General Goor, advanced under
cover of a heavy cannonade, to attack the enemy's en-
trenchments. When these brave troops arrived within
the range of the enemy's cannon they were assailed by a
volley of grape, which produced a dreadful carnage.
General Goor and many brave oflBcers fell ; Lieut -Col.
White of the Royals was severely wounded ; yet the
assailants moved forward with a firm tread until they
arrived at a ravine which they were unable to pass, when
they shrunk back before the shower of bullets which
assailed tliem. At this moment the enemy issued from

100

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1704 the entrenchments and charged the British and Dutch with
great fury, but were gallantly opposed by the English
Foot Guards. The Rovals and Ingoldsby's regiment
also confronted the charging Bavarians with firmness,
and the enemy was repulsed and driven back into the
entrenchments. A second attack was soon afterwards
made on the heights, and the Rovals were again sharply
engaged. The French and Bavarians made a vigorous
resistance, and sallying from the trenches attacked the
leading regiments of the allies ; the British and Dutch
infantry being exhausted by a continued struggle up
a rising ground, and their ranks thinned by a destruc-
tive fire, once more shrunk back ; they were, however,
supported by the cavalry under Lieut.-General Lumley,
and having rallied, they returned to the attack with great
resolution. This protracted contest shook the strength
and weakened the resistance of the enemy. The Impe-
rialists, commanded by the Margrave of Baden, arrived
at the scene of conflict and attacked the enemy's left ; at
the same time the British and Dutch made another furious
attack. Three field-officers of the Royals had already
been carried from the field wounded, yet the regiment
was seen pressing upon the enemy, and making a des-
perate effort to force the entrenchments ; the Scots Greys
dismounted to join in the attack ; and the French and
Bavarians were overpowered and driven from the heights
with dreadful carnage. The cavalry under General
Lumley charged the fugitives, and completed the over-
throw of the enemy. Sixteen pieces of artillery, a number
of standards and colours, with the enemy's tents, and the
equipage, and the plate of Count d'Arco, fell into the
hands ot the confederates.

Thus tnc Royals were triumphant near the same
ground where the regiment, when forming part of the

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

101

Green Brigade in the service of Gustavus Adolphus, 1704
distinguished itself in March 1 632.

The first battalion of the Ro y al Regiment had Captain
Murray, Ensigns M'Dugal and M'llroy, one serjeant,
and 38 rank and file killed ; and Lieut. -Colonel White,
Major Cockburn, Captains Hume, Irwin, and Brown ;
Lieutenants Kid and Ballatine ; Ensigns Stratton, Cun-
ningham, and Stewart ; with 3 Serjeants, and 103 rank
and file, wounded.

The second battalion had Captain Baily and Lieu-
tenant Levingston, with 1 serjear t and 76 private men,
killed ; and Major Kerr, Captain Carr, Lieutenants
Pearson, Moore, Vernel, Hay, Dickson, and Hamilton,
Ensigns M'Queen, M'Onway, Moremere, Elliot, Inglis,
and Moore, with 12 Serjeants, and 184 rank and file,
wounded.

The victory at Schellenberg was immediately followed
by the flight of the enemy from Donawerth, which place
was taken possession of by the allies. At the same time
the Royal Regiment crossed the Danube, and advancing
into Bavaria, was engaged in operations with the army ;
while the French and Bavarians, having made a hasty
retreat to Augsburg, foriped an entrenched camp near
that city. The enemy also abandoned several small towns,
which were taken possession of by the allies, and Rayn
was captured after a short siege. The army afterwards
advanced towards Augsburg, and halted a short time
within sight of the enemy's fortified camp. In the mean
t"me each regiment sent out parties to plunder the country.
This occasioned the Elector of Bavaria to engage in a
treaty with tlie view of an accommodation ; but he soon
afterwards received information that another reinforce-
ment of French troops had traversed the Black Forest,
when he broke ofi the treaty, which so incensed the Im-
perialists that they laid a great part of Bavaria in ashes.

102

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1704 The fortified camp at Augsburg being found too strong
to be attacked with any prospect of success, the troops
retired a few stages, and the siege of Ingoldstadt was
undertaken by a detachment of Germans, at the same
time the Royal Regiment formed part of the covering
army.

The Elector of Bavaria quitted his entrenched camp,
and having formed a junction with the reinforcements
which Louis XIV. had sent to his aid, the united armies
encamped in the valley of the Danube, near the village of
Blenheim. At the same time the allied army, com-
manded by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene
of Savoy, had advanced to the village of Minster, and
was encamped with its left to the Danube.

At three o'clock on the morning of the eventful 13th
of August, 1704, the allies advanced to attack the French
and Bavarians. About seven the heads of columns ar-
rived in presence of the enemy, and a pause ensuing, the
chaplains performed the usual service at the beads of
their respective regiments. About mid-day, a column, of
which one battalion of the Royal Regiment formed part,
advanced under the direction of Lieut. -General Lord
Cutts and Major-General Wilks, to attack the village of
Blenheim^ where the French commander, Marshal
Tallard, had posted a considerable number of troops, and
entrenchments and pallisades had been constructed. This
column, consisting of the two British brigades, commanded
by Brigadier- Generals Row and Fergusson, a brigade of
Hessians, and a brigade of Hanoverians, proceeded to the
banks of the little river Nebel, and took possession of two
water mills, which the enemy evacuated, and set on fire.
Thence advancing towards the inclosures, the leading
brigade received the fire of the troops in Blenheim, and
many ofiicers and men fell ; but the gallant Row struck
his sword in the enemy's pallisades before he gave the

jps
aa
me

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

lOJ

word "fire." His brigade was, however, unablo to force 1704
the entrenchments against the superior numbers of the
enemy ; and while ret"' g it was charged by the French
cavah'y, but the enemy was repulsed by the Hessians.
Soon afterwards, Pergusson's brigade and the Hanove-
rians traversed the Nebel, near the lower water-mill, and
attacked the front of the village, but were repulsed three
successive times ; the firing was, however, continued
against Blenheim ; and the remainder of the forces tra-
versed the rivulet, and attacked the main body of the
French army. The other battalion of the Royal Regi-
ment was now brought into action; the blaze of mus-
ketry extended along the whole front ; and the troops of
the several nations fought with distinguished bravery.
The combat of musketry, and the charges of the cavalry,
were continued for some time with varied success.
Eventually the main body of the enemy was overpowered,
and chased from the field with great slaughter ; many
prisoners were also captured, and amongst them the
French commander, Marshal Tallard.

When the main body of the French army was defeated,
the troops posted in Blenheim attempted to escape by the
rear of the village, but were repulsed. A second attempt
was made in another direction, but was checked by the
Scots Greys. A third attempt was also made, but the
French were again driven back, and forced to take shelter
behind the houses and inclosares. Though encompassed
and intercepted on every side, the French obstinately
defended their post. Additional forces were brought
against them ; the batteries opened a tremendous fire ;
Lieut. -General the Earl of Orkney attacked the French
troops posted in the churchyard with eight battalions ;
Lieut.-General Ingoldsby attacked the right side of the
village with four battalions, supported by the Royal Irish

104

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1704 (late 5th) Dragoons ; and both battalions of the Royals
were now engaged. A sharp struggle ensued, which
ended in a parley, and eventually twenty-four French
battalions of infantry, and twelve squadrons of cavalry,
surrendered prisoners of war. The Germans who at-
tacked the enemy's right were also triumphant. Thus the
struggle of this eventful day ended in a Complete victory,
which reflected lustre on the confederate arms, and showed
in its native colours the true character of the British
soldier. The French and Bavarians are reported to have
lost in killed, wounded, prisoners, and from other causes,
about forty thousand men, with nearly all their tents,
cannon, anc^ ammunition, and a great number of stand-
ards, colours, and kettle-drums.

The Royal Regiment lost in this action* Lieut.-

* The following Return shows the number of Officers killed and
wounded in each British Regiment at the battle of Blenheim : —

The Queen's Horse, now
Lieut, -Gen. Wood's Regt.
Colonel Cadogan's ,,
Lieut-Gen. Wyndham's
Duke of Schomberg's
Royal Scots Dragoons
Royal Irish Dragoons, late
Foot Guards, one battalion
Royals two do., ^ow

Prince George's Regt., „
Brig.-Gen. Webb's ,, „
Ld. North & Grey's ,, ,,
Brig- Gen. Howe's ,, ,,
Earl of Derby's ,, ,,
Royal Irish ,, ,,

Brig-Gen. Row's ,, ,,
Lt.-Gen, Ingoldsby's ,,

Dk, of Marlborough's ,,
Brig.-Gcn. Fcrgusson's ,,
Colonel Meredith's „ „

OFriOEBS.

Killed.

Wounded.

1st Dragoon

Guards

3rd „

>»

5th „

6th „

»>

7th „

2nd Drags. (Greys)

5th „

•

1st Foot

3rd „

8th „

10th „

15th „

•

16th „

18th „

21st „

23rd „

24th „

•

26th „

37th „

Total

130

RKOIMBNT OF FOOT.

105

.1^

Colonel White, Ensigns M'Conway and Craig, killed ; 1704
Captain Lord Forbes died of his wounds ; and Captains
Montgomery, Bruce, and Lindsay, with Lieutenants
Harrowby and Lisle, and Ensign Hume, wounded.

The number of French and Bavarians taken on this
occasion was so great that the second battalion of the
Royals, with the regiments of Prince George of Den-
mark, Lords North and Grey, Row and Meredith, com-
manded by Brigadier-General Fergusson, were sent to
Holland in charge of the prisoners. These troops marched
with the prisoners to Mentz, where they embarked in
boats and sailed to Holland, and, having delivered them
into the charge of other corps, were placed in garrison
for the remainder of the year.

Meanwhile the first battalion continued with the army
in Germany ; and the enemy abandoned several im-
pc»'tant cities, which were occupied by the allies. The
battalion of the Royal Regiment proceeded through the
circle of Swabia and directed its march to Philipsburg,
where it crossed the Rhine on the 7th of September, and
subsequently formed part of the covering army during the
siege of Landau, a town in the Bavarian circle of the
Rhine, situated in a beautiful valley on the river Queich.
On the 13th of October this battalion, with the regiments
of Hamilton, Ingoldsby, and Tatton, marched from the
covering army encamped at Croon- Weissemberg to Ger-
mersheim, and embarking in boats, sailed down the Rhine
to Holland, and were placed in garrison for the winter.

In the following spring, the losses of the preceding 1705
campaign were replaced with recruits from Scotland ; and
in April the regiment quitted its quarters, and directed
its march towards Maestricht, passed that city on the
13th of May, and proceeded to Juliers. From Juliers
the regiment proceeded through a mountainous country

\ \

106

THE FIRST, OK ROYAL

1705 to the valley of the Moselle, in the midst of which stands
the ancient city of Treves, where both battalions en-
camped on the 28th of May. The British and Dutch,
with several German corps, having assembled in the
neighbourhood of Treves, the army passed the Moselle
and the Saar on the 3rd of June, and advanced towards
Syrk, near which place a French army of superior num-
bers, commanded by Marshal Villiers, was encamped. The
allied army halted a short distance from the enemy,
and awaited the arrival of the Imperialists under the
Margrave of Baden, who had promised to co-operate with
the Duke of Marlborough in carrying on the war in this
direction : but this co-operation was delayed so long that
the British commander was forced to return to the Nether-
lands, where the French were making considerable progress.

The retreat was commenced during the night of the
1 7th of June ; and on the 20th, Lieut.-General the Earl
of Orkney was detached with all the grenadiers, and
one hundred men of each battalion, to observe the motions
of a detachment which Marshal Villiers had sent towards
the Netherlands.

The approach of the army towards the Maese alarmed
the French, and they raised the siege of the citadel of
Liege and retired. On the 4th of July the first battalion
of the Royal Regiment was detached, with other forces
under General Schultz and Lieut.-General the Earl of
Orkney, to besiege Hui/y which had been captured by the
French during the absence of the army up the Moselle.
On the 6th a battery of twelve cannon and six mortars
opened a sharp fire upon Fort Picard ; and during the
afternoon of the sanu; day the troops forced ' e covered-
way and reared their ladders against the wi >, when the
French quitted this fort and also Fort Rouge, and fled
to th(; castle. On the 10th the batteries were brought

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

107

to bear on the castle and on Fort Joseph, and on the fol- 1705
lowing day the garrison surrendered.

Meanwhile the French army, commanded by Marshal
Villeroy and the Elector of Bavaria, having taken refuge
behind their fortified lines, the Duke of Marlborough
had formed a scheme for forcing these stupendous bar-
riers, and the first battalion of the Royal Regiment re-
joined the army in time to take part in this splendid
enterprise. The lines were menaced by a detachment on
the south of the Mehaine, which drew the greater part
of the French army to that quarter ; and during the
night of the 17th of July the allied army marched to its
right, and at four o'clock on the following morning the
leading regiments approached the works at Neer-Hespen
and Helixem. Both battalions of the Royal Regiment
were in the leading division. Their advance was con-
cealed by a thick fog, and under the cover of this ob-
scurity one column cleared the village of Neer-Winden
and Neer-Hespen, another gained the bridge and village
of Helixem, and a third carried the castle of Wange,
which command''^ the passage over the Little Gheet.
Then rushing through the inclosures and marshy grounds,
the troops fordtnl the river, and crowded over the defences
with an ardour which overcame all opposition. The
French guards were surprised and overpowered, and a
detachment of dragoons fled in a panic. Thus the lines
were forced ; the pioneers were instantly set to work, and
in a short time a passage was made for the cavalry.
While this was in progress, the Marquis d'Allegre ad-
vanced with twenty battalions of infantry, and fifty
squadrons of cavalry, and opened u sharp cannonade ;
but his advance was retarded by a hollow way, which
gave time for more troops to pass the lines ; and event-
ually his forces were attacked and defeated, and the allies

108

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1705 took many prisoners, and also captured a number of
standards and colours. Speaking of this action, the
Duke of Marlborough observes in a letter published in his
memoirs, — " It is impossible to say too much good of the
" troops that were with me, for never men fought better."

The enemy made a precipitate retreat, and took up a
position behind the river Dyle. The Duke of Marl-
borough advanced with the design of passing the river,
but was prevented by heavy rains. On the 2l8t of July,
a small body of French troops passed the Dyle^ when the
first battalion of the Royal Regiment was ordered for-
ward, and a slight skirmish ensued. The French fled to
their lines, and a few companies of the Royals pursuing
too far, were fired upon from the works, and had one
captain killed and several men wounded. Major
General Wood was also wounded.

The Royal Regiment was subsequently engaged in
sevcal manoeuvres ; but the designs of the British com-
mander were frustrated by the inactivity and want of co-
operation on the part of the Dutch generals. The French
lines were demolished in the autumn ; and a detachment
was sent to invest a small town and fortress on the Scheldt,
called Sandlivet, which surrendered on the 29th of Octo-
ber. In the early part of November the regiment marched
back to Holland, and was placed in garrison for the winter.

1706 The Royal Regiment again took the field in May,
1706, and proceeding to the province of Limburg, ar-
rived at the general rendezvous of the army at Bilscn,
near Tongres, on the 19th of that month. Advancing
from Bilsen, the army proceeded in the direction of Mont
St. Andre ; and on Whit-Suiulay, the 23r(l of May, as
the troops were on the nuirch, tin; enemy's army, com-
manded by Mur.shal Villcroy and the Elector of Bavaria,
was discovered forming in order of battle in the position of

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

109

Mont St. Andre, with their centre at the village of Rami- 1 706
lies, which was occupied by a considerable body of troops.

The allied army, diverging into the open plain of
Jandrinoeuil, formed line, and advanced against the
enemy. The Royal Regiment, having its post near the
right of the first line, formed on the heights of Foulz ;
then descending, with several other British, Dutch, and
German corps, into the low grounds near the river,
menaced the villages of Autreglise and OfFuz with an
attack. This movement occasioned the emray to weaken
his centre to support his left flank, when the duke of
Marlborough made a powerful attack on the enemy's
centre and right. The Royals were spectators of the
fight for above an hour ; at length a critical period in the
engagement arrived, and the regiment was brought for-
ward. The veterans of Schellenberg and Blenheim
fought like men resolved to die rather than lose their
reputation ; and the French, Spaniards, and Bavarians,
were overthrown and driven from the field with a terrible
slaughter. The fugitives were pursued many miles, and
an immense number of prisoners, will; cannon, standards,
and colours, was captured. Thus a complete and de-
cisive victory was gained over an army of superior
numbers in less than three hours.

The wreck of the French army continued its precipi-
tate flight to Louvain, and immediately afterwards
abandoned that city, and also Brussels. Th'j States of
Brabant, and the magistrates of Brussels, renounced their
allegiance to the Duke of Anjou. The principal towns
of Brabant, and several others in Flanders, were imme-
diately delivered up, and others surrendered on being
siuninoned, or in a few days afterwards. Dendermond
held out, and was blockaded in the early part of June ;
and Ostend was afterwards besieged by a detachment

110

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1706 from the main army, and surrendered on the 6th of July.
Menin was besieged on the 25th of July, and surrendered
in August; and Dendermond was delivered up in the
early part of September. During these sieges the Royals
continued to form part of the covering army ; but after
the surrender of Dendermond, one battalion of the regi-
ment was detached under Marshal d'Auverquerque and
Lieut. -General Ingoldsby, to besiege Aeth, a town and
fortress on the river Dender. This place was invested on
the 16th of September : the several attacks were carried
on with vigour, and the garrison surrendered on the 3rd
of October. The capture of Aeth was the lasi important
event of this glorious campaign : and in the early part of
November the Royal Regiment marched into garrison
at Ghent.

1707 Here the regiment passed the succeeding winter and
spring, and again took the field on the 16th of May,
1 r07, when the first battalion was formed in brigade with
the loot Guards and the regiments of Godfrey and
Sabine (now 16th and 23rd), commanded by Brigadier-
General Meredith ; and the second battalion with the
regiments of Webb, Ingoldsby, and Tatton, (now 8th,
18th, and 24th), and Temple's (since disbanded), under
the command of Brigadier General Sir Richard Temple,
afterwards Viscount Cobham The opposing armies, how-
ever, passed the campaign in manoeuvring, and observing
each other's movements ; the French avoided a general en-
gagement ; and in October the Royals returned lo Ghent.

In this year, the Union of Scotland with England
having taken place, the Cross of St. Andrew was placed
on the colours of the English regimontf in addition to the
Cross of St. George — previously displayed ; and the
Royal Regiment obtained as u regimental badge — the
Royal Ct/iher, within the circle of St. Andrew, sur-

REGIMENT OP FOOT.

mounted with a crown ; instead of St. Andrew's Cross, 1 101
which it had formerly borne on its colours.

While the regiment was reposing in winter quarters in 1 708
Flanders, the King of France fitted out a fleet and em-
barked a body of troops at Dunkirk for the purpose of
making a descent on the British coast in favour of the
Pretender ; and the Royals, with the Foot Guards and
seven other corps, were ordered to return to England to
repel the invaders. The Royal Regiment marched
from Ghent on the 8th March, 1708 (O.S.). embarked at
Ostend on the 15th, and arrived at Tynemouth on the
21st. Meanwhile the French fleet, with the Pretender on
board, had sailed from Dunkirk ; but being chased by the
British men-of-war, the enemy returned to Dunkirk with-
out effecting a landing. The Royals were then ordered
' ^^k to Flanders, and having landed at Ostend on the
20th of April, proceeded in boats along the canal to Ghent.

The regiment remained at Ghent until the 22nd of
May, when it took the field and engaged in the general
operations of the army, and soon afterwards the French
obtained possession of Ghent and Bruges by treachery.
A more important advantage was, however, gained on
the 11th of July by the allied army commanded
by the Duke of Marlborough, who crossed the Scheldt
and defeated the French army, commanded by the
Duke of Burgundy and Marshal Vendome, i;ear Oude-
narde. The Royals formed part of the division of
twenty battalions commanded by the Duke of Argyle,
and having traversed the Scheldt by the pontoon bridge
between Oudenarde and the Abbey of Ecname, they
ascended the heights of Bevere ; then, inclining to the
right, engaged the enemy in the fields and open grounds
beyond the rivulet. A fierce conflict of musketry ensued,
and charge succeeded charge, until the shades of ev(>ning
gathered over the scene of conflict, and the combatants

112

THE FIRST OR ROYAL

1708 could only be discerned by the flashes of musketry which
blazed in the fi Ma and marshy grounds. The French,

'^'''' ^ having been driven from hedge . i hedge, and from thicket
thicket, were eventually overpowered. Part of their
army being separated from the remainder was nearly
surrounded and destroyed, and the work of destruction
was continued until the darkness became so intense that
it was impossible to distinguish friends from foes, when
the troops were ordered to cease firing. Night favoured
the enemy ; many of the corps, which were nearly sur-
rounded, escaped in the dark, and the wreck of the
French army made a precipitate retreat to Ghent, leaving
the allies in possession <.f the field of battle, with many
prisoners, standards, colours, and other indisputable
marks of victory.

The Royals were subsequently employed in covering
the siege of Lisky the capital of French Flanders, which
was captured by Louis XIV. in 1667, and ceded to
France by the treaty of peace in 1668. This city being
situated on a plain watered by several streams, and pro-
tected by a series of stupendous works constructed under
the superintendence of Vauban, the celebrated French
engineer, and being defended by a garrison of 15,000
men commanded by the veteran Marshal Boufflers, who
was prepared with everything requisite for a protracted
defence, the siege was considiied an undertaking of great
magnitude, and it excited universal attention. The French
made strenuous exertions to pres* . o the place, and an
immense body of troops advanced against the covering
army, of which the Royal Regiment formed a part ; but
the French Marshals were dismayed by the determined
countenance of the allies, and frustrated by the superior
tactics of the Duke of Marlborough. The enemy next
attempted to cut off the supplies of military stores and
provision from the army ; and a quantity of stores having

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

113

been sent from England to Ostend, and there placed in 1708
waggons, one battalion of the Royal Regiment, com-
manded by Lieut.-Colonel Hamilton, was detached from
the covering army to protect the stores from Ostend to
the camp. This battalicm was sent, in the first instance,
to Oudenburg, with orders to wait there until the convoy
had passed, and afterwards to join the escort at Turout.
The waggons left Ostend on the 27th of September, and
continued their route towards the army; at the same
time the French commanders sent a detachment of 22,000
men under the orders of Count de la Motte to intercept
the convoy. After the waggons had proceeded a con-
siderable distance on their way, the battalion of the
Royal Regiment quitted Oudenburg and proceeded to
Turout, where information was received of the move-
ments of the enemy, when the battalion marched with all
possible expedition to succour the convoy, and arrived at
the wood of Wynendale at the moment when Major-
General Webb was forming the few troops he had with
him in an opening beyond the wood. The French had
to pass through the wood, and Major-General Webb
placed a battalion in ambush amongst the trees on each
side of the defih, and drew up the main body of his de-
tachment, which consisted of about 8000 men, in an open
space at the end of the defile. The French advanced in
full confidence to overwhelm a force which did not amount
to half their own numbers ; but, when passing through
the wood, they were assailed by the ambush on their left,
which put them in some confusion. They, however, con-
tinued to advance and broke through two of the batta-
lions of the allies posted at the end of the defile i but
the battalion in ambush on the enemy's right having
opened its fire, and the head of their column being at-
tacked, the French were repulsed and driven back through

114

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

n08 the wood. They soon rallied and returned to the attack,
and were again assailed by a destructive fire in front and
on both flanks, and they shrunk back in dismay. The
attack was repeated, and the destructive cross fire was
again opened with the same results; and Count de la
Motte, being unable to induce his men to return to the
charge, he was forced to relinquish the contest and retire.
At this moment Lieut.-General Cadogan arrived with a
few squadrons of cavalry, and the convoy was conducted
in safety to the army. This gallant exploit excited great
admiration, and Major-General Webb was honoured with
the thanks of parliament, and the approbation of the
Queen, for his conduct on this occasion.

The Royal Regiment continued to form part of the
covering army, and was employed in several services con-
nected with the procuring of provision and stores for the
besieging troops. In November, the Elector of Bavaria
besieged Brussels, and the Royals formed part of the
force which advanced to relieve the place. The strong
positions of the enemy behind the Scheldt were forced on
the 27th of November ; and when the troops advanced
upon Brussels, the Elector of Bavaria raised the siege,
and made a precipitate retreat.

The citadel of Lisle, being \igorously pressed, sur-
rendered on the yth of December. The period for mili-
tary operations had passed away ; but notwithstanding
the lateness of the season the Duke of Marlborough
rejolved to besiege Ghent, and the Royal Regiment was
one of the corps selected for this service. An attack was
made on the outposts of the town on the night of the 24th
of December, when a detachment of the Royals formed
part of the forlorn-hope, and had several men killed and
wounded. Tlie trenches were opened during the same
night, and the siege being prosecuted with spirit and

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

115

d, sur-
ar mili-
tanding
|)orougb
cut was
u'k was
he 24th
formed
led and
ic same
h'it and

vigour, the garrison surrendered on the 2nd of January, 1708
1709. Bruges was also vacated by the French ; and the
Royal Regiment, having marched into Ghent when that
city was delivered up, remained there during the winter.

The regiment, having reposed for a few months in con- 1709
venient quarters, and obtained a body of fine recruits
from Scotland, advanced from Bruges to the plain of
Lisle, and was afterwards encamped with the army on the
banks of the Upper Dyle. The French had constructed a
new line of entrenchments and forts : the allies advanced
with the apparent design of attacking the enemy, when
Marshal Villars drew a number of troops out of the neigh-
bouring garrisons, and prepared to make a determined
resistance. This was what the Duke of Marlborough
wished ; and ro sooner had a considerable detachment of
French troops quitted the garrison of Toumay, than the
allies struck their tents, marched to the left, and invested
the town. Both battalions of the Royal Regiment
were in the besieging army, and took an active part in
the several attacks on the works, and in repulsing the
sallies of the garrison. On the 29th of July, while pre-
parations were making to attack the town by storm, the
governor surrendered. The citadel still held out ; but five
British regiments, which had not taken part in the siege
of the town, were selected for the siege of the citadel, and
the Royal Regiment joined the covering army.

During the period the siege of the citadel of Tournay
was in progress, Lieut.-General the Earl of Orkney was
detached, with the grenadier companies of the Royal
and several other regiments, and twenty squadrons of
cavalry, towards St. Ghislain, to seize on certain passes,
and to facilitate the subsequent operations of the cam-
paign ; and the citadel having surrendered on the 3rd
of St^ptember, the army afterwards proceeded towards

116

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

■[I J

lii I*

1709 Mons, the capital of the province of Hainault, which the
allies intended to besiege. While the troops were on the
march, Marshal Villars made several movements with
the view to prevent the loss of Mons ; and on the 10th
of September the French army was in position in front
of Taisniere and the hamlet of Malplaquet, and having
thrown up entrenchments and constructed abatis de hois
and other defences, until their camp resembled a fortified
citadel, they there awaited the attack of the allies.

At three o'clock on the morning of the 11th Septem-
ber, the forces of the several nations which composed the
army commanded by the Duke of Marlborough and
Prince Eugene of Savoy, were under arms. The two
battalions of the Royal Regiment appeared on parade
on the ground where they had passed the night, and
divine service was performed by the chaplain. The
French camp was a short distance in front ; but a thick
mist overspread the woods and open grounds, and con-
cealed the armies from each other. Under cover of the
fog, the artillery was brought forward, and dispositions
made for the attack : the French heard the din of hostile
preparations, and seized their weapons, and two powerftil
armies, headed by commanders of renown, stood arrayed
against each other. The troops of both armies had con-
fidence in their leaders, and were anxious for the combat ;
the one to acquire new laurels under their favourite chiefs,
and the other to retrieve the disasters of eight successive
campaigns. The fog lingered on the ground until about
half-past seven, when the sun broke forth. The fire of
the artillery instantly opened on both sides, and the
columns of attack moved forward, and commenced one of
the most sanguinary and hard-contested battles on record,
in which there was a greater sacrifice of life than at the
battles of Blenheim, Bainilies, and Oudenarde, put to-

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

117

gether. " It is impossible to express the violence of the 1709
" fire on either side. Besides the enemy's advantageous
" situation, they defended themselves like brave men, and
" made all the resistance that could be expected from the
" best of troops ; but then nothing could be a finer sight
" than to see our foot surmount so many obstacles, resist
" so great a fire, force the enemy's entrenchments, beat
" them from thence, and drive them quite out of the
" wood, and after all, to draw up in good order of battle
" on the plain, in sight of our enemies, and before their
" third entrenchments*." - ■ ^ ''' '

The Royals formed part of the division commanded
by General Count Lottum, and were engaged in the
assault of the entrenchments in the wood of Taisniere.
Two battalions of Foot Guards led the attack, and,
having overcome several local difficulties, they commenced
ascending the enemy's breastwork, but were repulsed and
driven back. The Royals seconded the Foot Guards ;
Argyle's regiment (3rd Bufls), and several other corps,
prolonged the attack to the left ; and these troops, rush-
ing forward with the native energy and resolution of
Britons, forced the entrenchments in gallant style, and
the French fell back fighting and retreating into the
woods. The Royals, and other corps, pressed forward :
the trees and foliage being thick, the ranks were broken ;
every tree was disputed, and the wood echoed the turmoil
of battle on every side.

When the fighting in the wood of Taisniere, where
the Royals were engaged, had assumed the character of
a series of skirmishes, a most sanguinary conflict was
raging in other parts of the field, particularly in the
centre, where the Prince of Orange led the Dutch in-

* Milner's Journal.

Ill :!.

ifi

I il

118

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

n09 fantry against the enemy's treble entrenchments, and at
the points of attack allotted to the Germans. Eventually
the enemy's position was broken, and a conflict of cavalry
ensued, in which the allies proved victorious. Mean-
while the Royals, and other corps engaged in the
woods, continued to gain ground, and the French were
forced to retreat. The allies captured a number of pri-
soners, colours, standards, and cannon ; but this victory
was purchased at an immense expense of human life,
especially of Germans and Dutch. The Royals having
fought a great part of the day in the wood, where the
men were partly covered by the trees, the regiment did
not sustain a very severe loss. Lieutenant Haley and a
few private men were killed ; and Lieutenants J. Stratton,
Dixon, and W. Stratton, were wounded*.

The victory at Malplaquet was followed by the siege
and capture of Mom, which was terminated by the sur-
render of the garrison on the 20th of October. The
Royals formed part of the covering army during the
siege, and afterwards marched back to Ghent.

1710 The regiment having passed the winter in its former
quarters, quitted Ghent on the 14th of April, 1710, and
directing its march towards the frontiers of France,
arrived at the rendezvous of the army, in the vicinity of
Tournay, on the 19th of that month. The allies, by a
forced march, succeeded in passing the French lines at
Pont-a- Verdun without opposition, and invested Douay.
The Royals formed part of the covering army during
the siege. The French army advanced and menaced the
allies with an attack, but retreated after a sharp cannon-
ade, and Douay surrendered on the 27th of June.

After the capture of Douay, the Royals marched in

* London Gazette, &c.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

119

the direction of Aubigny, and formed part of the cover- 1710
ing army encamped at Villers-Brulin during the siege of
Bethune. This place having surrendered on the 28th
of August, the Royals were afterwards detached from
the main army, and sent under the command of the
Prince of Anhault, to besiege the town of Aire^ which
is situated on the banks of the river Lys. The governor
of this place made a vigorous defence; and the re-
giment was sharply engaged several times in carrying
on the attacks and storming the outworks, and had
a number of men killed and wounded. The garrison
having surrendered on the 9th of November, the
regiment afterwards marched back to its former win-
ter-quarters at Ghent, where it arrived on the 23rd of No-
vember.

The Royals again took the field towards the end of 1711
April, 1711, and, advancing up the country, joined the
army near Douay, and were reviewed with the re-
mainder of the British infantry, on the 8th of June, by
the Duke of Marlborough, at the camp at Warde. On
the 14th the army advanced to the plains of Lens. The
enemy had thrown up a new line of entrenchments ; and
the French army, commanded by Marshal Villars, was
posted behind these formidable works, which were deemed
impregnable. But the British commander, by menacing
the enemy's left, occasioned the French troops to be
drawn to that quarter ; then, by a forced march, passed
the lines at an unguarded part at Arleux, and afterwards
invested Bouchain, a fortified town of Hainault, situated
on both sides of the river Scheldt. The Royals formed
part of a division of twenty battalions, commanded by
Lieut.-General the Earl of Orkney, which took post on
the north and north-west side of the town and river.

The French, by a night march, gained possession of

120

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1711 the heights of Wavrechin, from whence they expected to
be able to relieve the town ; and the Royals formed
part of a division of infantry which advanced to dislodge
the enemy ; bat the position was found too formidable to
be attacked, and the regiment retired without firing a
shot. During the night a series of works was constructed ;
a causeway was also made through the deep inundations
which the enemy had, by means of sluices on the river,
caused to overflow the low grounds near the town ; and
thus Bouchain was completely invested, and all commu-
nication with the troops on the heights of Wavrechin cut
off The siege was then prosecuted with vigour, and the
Royals took their turn of duty in the trenches, and in
carrying on the attacks^ and had several men killed and
wounded. The total loss of the British troops in this
siege was 1,154 officers and men killed and wounded.
The garrison agreed to surrender on the 13th of Sep-
tember. TTie Royals remained at Bouchain until the
works were repaired, and afterwards went into quarters
for the winter.

1712 In the early part of April, 1712, the regiment once
more took the field, and on the 19th of that month pitched
its tents near Toumay, where the Duke of Ormond
arrived on the 9th of May, and took command of the
army, the Duke of Marlborough having, for a political
cause, been removed from his military appointments.

On the 19th of May the army advanced, and on the
21st encamped on the hills of St. Denis, near Bouchain ;
thence proceeding across the Scheldt, arrived a few days
afterwards near the frontiers of France ; and the two
grenadier companies of the Royal Regiment, forming
part of a reconnoitring party, advanced a few miles into
Picardy.

Tlie siege of Quesnoy was afterwards undertaken, and

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

121

the Royal Be^ment, forming part of the covering army, 1712
was encamped at Gateau-Cambresis ; but was not engaged
in any act of direct hostility. The garrison surrendered
on the 4th of July ; and soon afterwards the Duke of
Ormond having received orders to proclaim a suspension
of arms between the British and French, preparatory to
a general treaty of peace, the British troops retreated
from the frontiers of France to Ghent.

The French monarch having agreed to deliver the city
of Dunkirk into the hands of the British as a pledge of
his sincerity in the negociations for peace, it was taken
possession of by six battalions from England ; and on
the 4th of August, the Royals, with four c her Br>ish
regiments, twenty pieces of cannon, and four mortars,
under the command of Lieut.-General the Earl of Orkney,
marched from the camp near Ghent to Dunkirk, ■ 1 °re
they arrived on the 6th, and the regiment remained la
garrison in this city nearly two years.

A treaty of peace having been concluded at Utrecht, 1713
the British troops were ordered to return from Flanders.
Several regiments embarked in the spring of 1714 ; the 1714
Royals marched from Dunkirk, in May, to Nieuport,
where they remained until after the decease of Queen Anne
and the accession of King George I., which occurred on
the 1st of August, 1714. The first battalion embarked
a few days after this event, and landed ~r:iven companies
at Dover, and five at Greenwich and Deptford — on the
15th of August; and the second battalion landed at
Gravesend and the borough of Soathwark on the 22nd of
that month. Both battalions assembled in the vicinity of
London, and having been reviewed by the Duke of Or-
mond, afterwards proceeded into garrison at Ports-
mouth and Plymouth.* At the same time a reduction

* War-Office Marching-Order Book.

122

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1714 of four companies took place, and the establishment of
each battalion was fixed at 10 companies, of 3 oflScers, 2
Serjeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 36 private men
each*.

After the arrival of King George I. from Hanover, the
Protestant succession to the throne appearing to be
peacefully established, the Royals were ordered to
proceed to Ireland, where the presence of a considerable
military force was deemed necessary to restrain the
Roman Catholics from taking arms in favour of the
Pretender. The regiment was accordingly relieved from
garrison duty at Portsmouth and Plymouth by the Third

1715 Foot Guards, in March, 1715, and proceeded to Chester,
where both battalions embarked for Dublin.

1716 During the remainder of the reign of George I. and
the early part of the reign of George II. the regiment

1717 was stationed in Ireland. In 1717 its establishment was
fixed at 22 companies, of 3 officers, 2 Serjeants, 2 cor-
porals, 1 drummer, and 38 private men each ; and the
expense of the regiment was estimated at £16,710 18«. 4</.
per annum. Thus it continued for several years ; but in

1727 1727, when 10,000 men were held in readiness to embark
for Holland to assist the Dutch in the war with Austria,
an augmentation of 20 Serjeants, 20 corporals, 20 drum-
mers, and 500 men, was added to the establishment ; no

1728 embarkation, however, took place, and the regiment was
afterwards placed upon a peace establishment.

1737 In January, 1737, Field Marshal the Earl of Orkney,
who had ooinmnnded the Royals nearly 45 years, and
had often led the rogimoiit to battle and to victory, died
in London ; and in Juno King George II. conferred the
Colonelcy on the Honorable James St. (^lair, from the
22nd Regiment of Foot.

• Wur-OfHcc Estoblislimont Book.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

123

The death of Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, 1740
having occurred in the autumn of 1740, the succession of
the Archduchess Maria-Theresa, as Queen of Hungary
and Bohemia, was disputed by the Elector of Bavaria,
and immediate signs of war appearing, an augmentation
was made to the strength of the Royal Regiment ; and
its establishment was increased to 1628 officers and men.

Previous to this period both battalions had usually been 1741
employed at the same station : they wore considered as
one corps, and few instances occurred of their being
engaged in separate services, even for short periods ; but
on the 21st of October, 1741, while the first battalion
remained in Ireland, the seiond battalion, having been 2nd
placed on the English establishment, embarked at Cork
for the West Indies. It however remained in the West 1742
Indies only a few months, and arrived in England in
December, 1742, together with the 6th, 15th, and 24th
regiments*. In the following year it returned to 1743
Ireland.

In the meantime, the French having taken part with
the Elector of Bavaria against the Archduchess Maria-
Theresa, a British force had been sent to Flanders to
co-operate with the Austrians ; and in the spring of 1743
the first battalion of the Royal Regiment was ordered to
proceed from Ireland to Flanders to join the army. It
accordingly embarked from Ireland, and on its arrival at
Ostend, in June, took charge, together with three other
regiments, of the clothing for the army which had
marched from Flanders to Germany. From Ostend the
Royals marched with the clothing to Brussels, where
they arrived on the lOih of July ; thence, continuing
their route for Gernuuiy, passed the Maese on the 14th

l8t '
Batt.

* Ilccords of tljc Adjutunt-General's Ortieo.

124

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

I ^1 i<

1st
Batt.

1744

1743 and joined the army at Hanau, a few days after King
George II. had gained a victory over the French at
Dettingen. The Royals were afterwards engaged in
operations in the west of Germany, but returned to the
Netherlands in the autumn.

During the following year the first battalion of the
Royals formed part of the army commanded by Field

) Marshal Wade, and was employed in several operations
in the Netherlands ; but no general engagement occurred.

1745 In the spring of 1745 the French besieged Tournay ;
and the Royals formed part of the army commanded by
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, who
advanced to the relief of the town. The French took up
a position near the village of Fontenoy to cover the siege ;
and the Duke of Cumberland, though inferior to the
enemy in numbers, resolved to attack the position. The
army accordingly advanced to the vicinity of Tournay,
drove in the French out-posts on the 10th of May, and on
the morning of the following day mover! from its camp-
ground to attack the enemy. Having pK s' r through some
narrow defiles and broken ground, the troops deployed on
the plain in front of the enemy, and the British infantry
commenced the attack with a spirit and resolution which
overcame all opposition. But the Dutch having failed in
their attack on the village of Fontenoy, and a brigade of
infantry ordered to storm a battery above Vezont having
delayed "N attack, the British infantry, which had forced
the French lines, were exposed to a dreadful cross-fire,
and were ordered to retire. A second attack was after-
wards made, with similar results : the cavalry advanced
to charge ; but the failure of the Dutch on Fontenoy, and
the delay of tlie brigade detached against the flank battery
at Ve/ont, rendei-ed a retreat necessary ; and the army
withdrew from the field of battle, and halted that night

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

125

under the cannon of Aeth, Although the attack failed, 1745
yet the army succeeded in impressing the French with a ist
sense of British valour and magnanimity, and the honour
of the British arms was preserved untarnished. The loss
on both sides was nearly equal ; that of the first battalion
of the Royal Regiment was 2 Serjeants and 85 rank and
file killed; with Captains Thompson and Edmonstone,
Lieutenants Cockburn, Nairn, Elliott, Abemethy, and
Grant, Ensign Jones, 5 Serjeants, and 178 rank and file,
wounded ; also 8 rank and file missing.

The Royals were subsequently encamped with the
army on the plain of Lessines, from whence they retired
to Grammont, and afterwards occupied a position near
Brussels to cover Dutch Brabant; but the French, by
means of tlieir immense superiority of numbers, captured
several towns in the Austrian Netherlands. In the
autumn the army went into winter quarters.

Meanwhile Charles-Edward, the eldest son of the
Pretender, being encouraged by several chiefs of the
Highland clans, who were disaffected to the Protestant
succession, landed on the western coast of Scotland, and
was soon joined by a number of hardy mountaineers, with
w^hom he advanced to Edinburgh, and obtained pos-
session of that city. This success of the young P» etender
occasioned the first battalion of the Royal Regiment to
be withdrawn from the Netherlands, and it arrived in the
Thames on the 25th of October. It was afterwards
ordered to form part of the army assembled in the south
of England to oppose the threatened descent of the
French.

In the meantime the second battalion, having embarked 2nd
from Dublin on the 3()th of September, 1745, hnd "*"•
arrived in England, and formed part of the army under
Field Marshal Wade, asai ^blod in order to prevent the

126

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1745 advance of the Highlanders into England. The rebels,
2nd however, succeeded in eluding the vigilance of the King's

troops, and penetrated as far as Derby. The second
battalion of the Royal Eegiment was at this time in
Yorkshire ; and when the young Pretender, being dis-
appointed of tlie P'.pected aid in England, was forced to
make a precipitate retreat to Scotland, this battalion
marched in pursuit of the rebels, and arrived at New-
castle-on-Tyne on the 24th of December. From New^-
castle this battalion marched to Edinburgh, where it

1746 arrived in the early part of January, 1746, and was
placed under the command of Lieut-General Hawley.

The young Pretender had, in the meantime, been
joined by some new levies, and havipg procured a supply
of artillery and ammunition, he occupied the town of
Stirling and commenced the siege of the Castle. A
few regiments having been assembled at Edinburgh, one
division, commanded by Major-General Huske, advanced
on the 13th of January and drove a party of rebels out
of Linlithgow ; another division advanced to Barrou-
stouness, and on the 16th the whole proceeded to Falkirk
and encamped near the town. On the 17th, about mid-
day, the rebel army was discovered advancing towards
the high grounds on Falkirk Moor ; the King's troops
quitted their camp and marched through the Lr'ir.en and
rugged grounds towards the enemy, and between three aad
four in the afternoon the action commenced. But at this
moment a tremendous storm of wind and rain beat in tlie
faces of the King's troops and nearly blinded them, and
their muskets became su wet that the soldiers could not
fire. At the same time the storm boating on the backs
of the Highlanders caused them little annoyance, and
they charged their nojirly blinded antagonists under such
advantageous circumstances, that several regiments were

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

127

instantly broken and driven from the ground. The re- 1746
serve, however, stood firm, and the Royals having 2nd
rallied, joined these troops under Major-General Huske.
This body of troops made a resolute stand ; the storm
had abated a little, and when the Highlanders attempted
to charge the reserve, they were assailed by a shower of
bullets, which caused them to shrink back; and they
were eventually driven up the hill with precipitation.
This division, of which the Royals formed part, main-
tained its ground to the last, and remained on the field
until dark, when no enemy being in sight, and the night
being cold and stormy, the troops retired from t^« Moor
to their camp, and afterwards to Linlithgow, wnere the
soldiers, w^ho were all dripping wet and nearly exhausted,
were put under cover, and on the following day they
marched to Edinburgh.

Additional forces were afterwards sent to Scotland ;
the Duke of Cumberland arrived at Edinburgh and
took the command ; and on the 31st of January the
troops were again in motion towards the Highlanders,
who raised the siege of Stirling Castle and made a pre-
ripitate retreat for Inverness, and one division for the
Highlands.

The second battalion of the Royal Regiment also
took part in the several movements which preceded the
battle of Cnllcden, which was fought on the 16th of
April, on CulU»atn Moor, a few miles from Inverness.
The array had advanced on the 14th to the Royal
burgh of Nairn, about 10 miles from Inverness. Durinf
the night between the ir)th and 16th nf A\m\ the Pre-
tender attempted, by a foi'cod marcii, to surprise the
Royal camp, but the out- posts wore found aleir, and the
surprise impracticable, and he retreated towfirds Inver-
ness, and halted on ('ulloden Moor. On tli'- following

iL.V!mmyM!'i»*

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

111

I .(.ft

:!i:|l

'ill.,!

;lii,

I8t

Batt.

1746 day the King's army was discovered advancing in order
2nd of battle, with the second battalion of the Royal Ptogi-
' ment on the right of the first line, commanrlid by Lieut -
General the Eari of Albemarle. The action conroenced
between Lvelve and one, and m les;s than f>'ie hmr th*
rebel army was overpowereu and chiii; ed from the Moor
with dreadful slauditer. This victory waa decisive.
The young Pretender fled from the field, and nfter wan-
dering for some time in disguise anongst the isles ind
m«mntains, hu escaped to France. The Royals, after
ret'aniing from the pursuit of the fu;!;itiv'o Higblano.n ,
J tdied their tent? near Inverness, where thoy remained
for several weeks, and afterwards marched to Perth.

Till .ebellioij being thus finally suppressed, part of
the fv.rces in f-^ngland became disposable for other ser-
vices; and the nation being at war with France, an
attack on the French possessions in Canada was medi-
tated ; and the first battalion of the Roya l Regiment,
being at this period in the south of England, was selected
to form part of the expedition, under its Colonel, Lieut.-
General the Hon. James St. Clair, which was accom-
panied by a naval force under Admiral Lestock. The
fleet was, however, detained so long by contrary winds
that the attack on Canada was deferred, and an attempt
on V Orient, a considerable sea-port on the north-west
of France, and the principal station for the French East
India Company's shipping and stores, was resolved upm.
Tht expedition sailed from Plymouth on the 14th of
September, and on the 20th a landing was CAfected in
Quimperle Bay, and a body of Frenc' troops were
driven fron the shore. On the followinr, c <» the troops
advanced in two coi.imns towards L'O-u.^ ^Sie Royals*
being /'- the right column; son'*^ Frf^ucii militia fired
upor! ' .;c troops from the woOi'lS; out a few skirmishers

1 1

RKGIMENT OF FOOT.

129

were thrown out, and the militia were driven back. On 1746
arriving at Plemur the leading companies of the column 1st

ofttt*

entering the village were fired upon from the houses ; but
this resistance was speedily overcome, and the villagers
were punished for their temerity. On the 22nd the
troops appeared before L'Orient, when the governor
sent a flag of truce, and proposed to' surrender the town
on certain conditions. These conditions were, however,
considered too favourable to the French, and they were
rejected in consequence of a report of the engineers
stating the practicability of reducing the town. The
siege was immediately commenced, the sallies of the
garrison were repulsed, and the town was set on fire in
three places by the bombs ; but the expedition proved of
insufficient force for the capture of the town, and the
siege was raised on the evening of the 26th. The roads
being bad, four pieces of cannon, one mortar, and some
ammunition, were left behind ; and the troops retreated
to Quimperle Bay and re-embarked without opposition.

In the early part of October another descent was made
on the French coast. The troops effected a landing on
the peninsula of Qiciberon, and Lieut.-General St. Clair,
at the head of the Royals and 42nd Highlanders,
took a fort with 18 guns, and having fortified the isthmus
the troops were cantoned in the villages and farm-houses.
The forts and guns in the peninsula, with those in the
isles of Ilouat and Hedic, having been destroyed, and
the country laid in ruins, the troops re-embarked and
returned to England.

The V ar had, in the meantime, continued to rage in 1747
the Netherlands, and the French, having reduced the
Austrian provinces, advanced, in April, 1747, inti)
Dutch Flanders, and captured Sluys and Sas van
Ghent, and besieged Ilulst. The 1st battalion of the

130

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Bati

1747 Royal Regiment had, in the meantime, proceeded to
1st Holland, and was in cantonments in the province of
Zealand, from whence it was detached, with Bragg's
(28th) and Lord Jchn Murray's Highland (42nd) Regi-
ments, under the command of Major-General Fuller, to
the relief of Uulst, and, having landed at Stapledyke on
the 1st of May, was employed in the defence of an
outwork called Fort Sandherg. On the 3rd of May the
French attacked Sandberg by storm ; the Dutch made a
gallant resistance, and, on the advance of the British
brigade, the enemy was driven back. On the 5th the
Royals were on duty in the fort, and the French, having
carried the sap a) r: y, ,>p dyke to within a few paces of
the pallisades, at. u'V;m( ;hr place by storm about nine
o'clock in the evei 'ng. "^l 1: assailants advanced with all
the spirit and fury which usually distinguishes the first
attack r f the French ; the out-guards and piquets were
instantly forced back into the garrison, and a Dutch
regiment was disconcerted and gave way. The enemy
continued his triumphant career until he encountered the
Royals, when a most sanguinary conflict of musketry
ensued, which was kept up throughout the night. " The
" narrowness of the ground in which the lattalion was
" drawn up would not admit of wheeling outwards to
" the right and left, as is requisite in common street-
" firing, as it contained only a platoon abreast ; so the
" first platoon fired their 24 rounds, and then filed
" off man by man, and were succeeded by the next and
" following platoons, which actx^d in the same manner; and
'* what is extraordinary, all this, though in the night,
" was performed without any disorder and confusion." *
The morning light had alrea/Jy dawned upon this

* Extract of a lettor Utom &u officer

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

131

Ist
Batt.

scene of conflict and carnage, — between three and four 1747
hundred officers and men of the Royals were hors de
combat; yet the survivors, — though standing amidst the
dying and the dead, and being unable to take one step
without treading on a killed or wounded man, — main-
tained their ground with resolution, and continued to
pour their fatal volleys upon the enemy, who had sus- ' t
tained an equal or greater loss, until five o'clock, when
the Royals were relieved by the Highlanders ; and the
French, dismayed by the sanguinary tenacity of the
defence, retreated.* In this desperate service Major
Sir Charles Erskine was killed ; Lieut.-Colonel Aber-
crombie. Lieutenants Forbes, Grant, Gordon, and Ru-
therford, with Ensigns Campbell and St. Clair, were
wounded; and several of these officers afterwards died
of their wounds: the battalion had also about four
hundred non-commissioned officers and private men killed
and wounded, f

The fire of the French batterie? being resumed with
increased fury. Fort Sandberg wa? rendered untenable a
few days afterwards, and the Dutuh governor. General
La Roque, having resolved to vacate the Fort and sur-
render the town of Hulst, the British bri.^ade proceeded
to Welshorden, where it was attacked by the French ;
bui, having repulsed the enemy, it evabarked in small
vessels, and, sailing to South Bevelaiid, went into canton-
ments on that island. The Royals appear to have
remained in South BevelanJ some time, and they did
not engage in any oilier military operation this year.

In the spring of 1748 the 2nd baUalion of the Royal 1748

* " The troops did hoiiou' *"» their country, particularly the 1st
" hn'tJ nn of the Royal Sci/ts, who were put to the hardest trials,
" bf-'.n f^' horoically, and suF^red much."— Sco/a Magazine.

t Lundo.. Gazette, &c. &c.

«: 2

132

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

*f!

■m

ill
liliil

1748 Regiment, having been withdrawn from Scotland, em-
2nd barked for HoD'^Tid, and joined the allied array com-

* manded by His T oyal Highness the Duke of Cumber-
land, at tlie camp near Ruremonde. Preliminary articles
for a treaty of peace having been agreed upon, a sus-
pension of arms took place.

1749 After the conclusi(m of tij? treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle,
Both the British troops were withdrawn froru Holh nd, and both

* ** battalions of the Royal Regiment proceeded to Ireland,

and were placed upon the Irish Establishment in 1749.
i 751 On the 1st of July, 1751, a warrant was issued under
the sign manual for regulating the standards, colours, and
clothing of the army, in which numerical titles were given
to the several corps, and this was styled the " First, or
R. 'YAL Regiment of Foot." The rank of the several
ri'giments was first established by a board of general officers
assembled in the Netherlands, by command cf King
'"^"Hiam, on the 10th of June, 1694 ; another board of
general officers was assembled by Queen Anne in 1713,
to decide on the rank and seniority of regiments raised
after 1694 ; and a third board was assembled by command
of King George T. in 1715, on the same subject. These
boards decided that English regiments raised in England
should take rank from tlio date of their formation, and
Scots and Irish regiments, with English regiments raised
for the service of a foreign power, should take rank from
the date of their being first placrd on the English establish-
ment. Thus the Royal Regiment obtained rank from
1661, as before stat- d.

In the warrant o '751 the facing of the Royals is
directed to be Blu^.* " in the centre of their colours

* In 1684, am' for many years afterwards, the facing of the regi-
ment >>'H white.

REGIMEN

^F FOOT.

133

*' the King's cypher, within the circle of St. Andrew, 175 1
" and the crown over it ; j in the three comers of the Both
" second colour, the thistle and crown. The distinction ^**®'
" of the colours of the second battalion is, a flaming ray
" of gold descending from the upper corner of each
" colour towards the centre.*

" On the grenadier caps the same device as in the
" centre of the colours, white horse, and the King's
" motto over it, on the little flap.

" The drums and bells of arms to have the same
" device painted on them, with the number or rank of
" the regiment under it."

Both battalions remained in Ireland until the undeter- 1755
mined limits of the British territory in North America
gave rise to another war. The colonies on the coast had
extended themselves on every side, while the Indian
trade drew many wandering dealers into the inland
country, where they found well-watered plains, a de-
lightful climate, and a fruitful soil. These advantages
appearing to compensate for the distance from the sea, a
company of merchants and planters obtained a charter
for a tract of land beyond the Allegany Mountains and
near the river Ohio, and commenced establishing a set-
tlement. The French laid claim to this part of the
country, drove away the new settlers, and built a strong
fort called Du Quesne, to command the entrance into the
country on the Ohio and Mississippi. Anothe: dispute
had, in the meantime, occurred respecting Nova Scotia.

These aggressions on the part of the French occa-
sioned a body of British troops to be sent to North
America in 1755. War was declared against France in

*IIis Majesty's commands wore issued in October, 1832, directing
tiiat the colours of both battalions of the Royal Regiment should

bear the same devices and distinctions.

184

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

II I

2nd
Ban.

1757 1756; and in May, 1757, the 2nd battalion of the
Royals embarked at Cork, and proceeded with the
17th, 27th, 28th, 43rd, 46th, 55th, and 58th regiments
to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, where they arrived in the
early part of July, being designed to form part of an
expedition under the Earl of Loudoun against an island
belonging to the French in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
called Cape Breton. On arriving at Halifax the Royals
were landed and formed in brigade with the 28th, 44th,
and 55th regiments, commanded by Major-General Hop-
son ; and the expedition was deferred until the succeeding
year.

1758 In May, 1758, the troops were again embarked, and
sailed under the orders of Lieut.-General Amherst
(afterwards Lord Amherst) — the naval force being under
Admiral Boscawen ; but owing to the unfavourable state
of the weather a; landing could not be effected on the
island until the 8th of June, when the troops proceeded
in boats towards the shore in three divisions. The
Royals, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Forster, formed
part of the right division under Brigadier-General White-
man, which proceeded towards White Point to make a
diversion, while the men of the centre division, led by
the gallant Brigadier-General James Wolfe, jumped into
the water, in the face of a tremendous fire of cannon and
musketry, hastened to the shore, attacked the French
with fixed bayonets, and drove them from their posts
in gallant style. The other divisions followed; but
the surf was so high that several boats were overset,
others were dashed to pieces, and many men were
drowned.

The siege of Louishurg^ the capital of the island, was
afterwards commenced ; and in carrying on the approaches
the troops underwent great fatigues with a cheerful
alacrity which redounded to their honour. By their

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

135

meritorious perseverance, and the co-operation of the 1758

fleet, the town was taken by surrender on the '26th 2nd

^ Batt.

of July, and with it the whole island and two other

small islands in the Gulf also surrendered. The
French garrison was made prisoners, and eleven stand of
colours were sent to England. The Royals lost in this
service Lieutenants Fenton and Howe, killed ; with Lieu-
tenants Fitzsiramons, Bailey, and Ashe, and Ensign Water-
ton, wounded. This conquest was considered of great
importance to the nation, and the meritorious conduct of
the officers and soldiers was rewarded with the appro-
bation of their Sovereign and the thanks of Parliament.

While the Royals were at Cape Breton, a body of
British troops, employed on the continent of North
America under the command of Major-General Aber-
crombie, had advanced against the fort at Ticonderago,
which had been built by the French in 1756 on the west
shore of Lake Champlain; and in the attack on this
place the British troops were repulsed. Lieut.-General
Amherst, having received information of this disaster,
embarked from Louisburg on the 30th of August with
the 2nd battalion of the Royals, 17th, 47th, and 48th
regiments, and Frazer's Highlanders, and sailed to Bos-
ton, where he disembarked the troops, and, marching
through the woods to Lake George, joined the camp of
the forces under Major-General Abercrombie.

A resolution to attack the French possessions in North
America at four diffijrent points at one time was ulti-
mately agreed upon ; and the Royals were selected to
form part of the force, under Lieut.-General Amherst,
designed to make a second attempt on Ticonderago.

The troops assembled for this purpose on the east
bank of Hudson's River, about fifty miles from Albany,
in the beginning of June, 1759, where they were en-
camped three weeks. Advancing from thence on the

1759

.««, *.(*.j.'

136

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1759 21st of June, they arrived at the banks of Lake George

2nd in the evening, and there pitched their tents, and com-
Batt. J .• /. . , .

menced erecting a tort ; at the same time means were

used to collect boats to convey the troops along the

lake. This occupied one month, and on the 21st of

July the regiments struck their tents, went on board the

boats, and, using blankets for sails, arrived at the second

Narrows on the following morning, and effected a landing.

Thence, advancing towarc's Ticonderago, the vanguard

encountered 400 French regulars and native Indians

near the saw-mills two miles from <^he fort, and routed

them in a few moments. The French commander, M.

Bourlemaque, had fortified a post in front of the fort,

but, when he saw the steady resolution of his opponents,

he quitted his lines, placed a garrison in the fort, and

embarked with his main body for Crown Point, anotiier

fort on Lake Champlain, erected by the French in 1731.

The siege of Ticonderago was then prosecuted with

vigour, and on the 25th of July the 'garrison blew up

the fort and sailed to Crown Point ; which place the

French commander also abandoned, and retired down

the lake to Isle aux Noix. The Royals and other

force*} afterwards proceeded to Crown Point and com-

nienc'ed erecting a new fort ; vessels were also built in

order to have a naval force on the lake. This work was

in progress until the 1 1 tli of October, when the large

boats, with a brigantine mounting eighteen guns and two

swivels, and a sloop mounting sixteen guns, being rea<ly,

the troops embarked, and sailed down the lake in four

dlvij^ions ; but afterwards encountering high northerly

winds, and u severe frost having .set in, the expedition

was counttM'inanded ; the tr<)oj)s returned to Oown Point

nnd Ticonderiigo, and tlie Rovals proceeded to New

N'ork for winter (piarters.

I7(j0 Meanwhile the Chcro/we Indians hud been currying

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

137

on a cruel warfare against the settlers on the frontiers of 1760
the southern provinces of North America, and in the 2nd
early part of 1760 the two flank and four battalion com-
panies of the Royals, mustering 400 men, were ordered
to proceed, under the command of Major Frederick
Hamilton, to South Carolina, to strike a decisive blow
against the aggressors. They accorflingly embarked
from New York, and, with a battalion of Highlanders
and some provincial troops commanded by Colonel
Montgomery, sailed to Charleston, and marched from
thence up the country to Fort Ninety-six, situate on the
borders of the Cherokee territory. Having halted a
short time at this place, the troops advanced on the 28th
of May, and arrived on the 1st of June at Twelve-mile
River. The scouts being unable to find any Indian
tracks, it was concluded that the Cherokces were not
informed of the march ; and, although the men had
already traversed twenty miles of rugged ground that
morning, from Beaver-dams to the river, the commanding
officer resolved to push forward immediately. The tents,
waggons, and cattle, were placed in a square, a guard
was placed over them, and, just as the sun was sinking
beneath the horizon, the troops moved quietly forward
along the rugged wood-lands. After a march of sixteen
miles the detachment arrived at an Lidian hamlet called
Little Keowee, and the light company of tlie Royals was
ordered to surround the houses and bayonet the inhabitants.
As the Royals approached the houses, a company of
Indian warriors, who were sleeping under the trees near
tlii^ hamlet, raised their usual war-cry, and opened a
scattering fire ; but the soldiers — undaunted by the
dismal yell of their antagonists — fired one vo!ley, — then,
rushing forward, encountered the Indians in clo'se fight,
and bayoneted the whole except the women and children.
TIjc troops then coi»tinued their route, and just as the

138

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1760 first rays of morning began to dawn they arrived at
2nd Estatoe, the capital of the Lower Cherokees ; the town
had, however, been abandoned nearly an hour before ;
but about a dozen warriors were intercepted and slain.
The town, which was found well provided with ammu-
nition, provision, and magazines of com, was plundered
and laid in ashes, and many of the inhabitan^^T who had
concealed themselves perished in the flames. This ser-
vice performed, the troops resumed their march, and
laid several other towns and villages in ashes ; an act of
necessary severity, which excited painful feelings in the
breasts of the brave men who executed it. Colonel
Grant observes, in his narrative of these transactions,
published in the South Carolina Gazette, — " I could not
" help pitying them ; their villages were agreeably situ-
" ated, their houses neatly built and well provided,
" having abundance of everything ; they must be pretty
" numerous, for Estatoe and Sugartown consisted at
" least of two hundred houses, and every other village of
" at least one hundred houses. After killing all we
" could find, and burning every house, we marched to
" Keowec, and arrived on the 2n(l of June, after a march
" of sixty miles ' ithout sleeping, at Fort Prince George,
" at four in the evening." This service was performed
with the loss of four men killed, and Lieutenants Mar-
shal and Hamilton, of the Royals, wounded.

After this severe chastisement, pacific overtures were
made to the Cherokee nation, but without the desired
effect; and r second expedition into their country was
resolved upon. For this purpose the six com])anies of
the Royals and other troops were in motion nt day-
break on the morning of the 24tli of .funo, taking with
them six days' provision, and arrived that night at
Orkonee Cceek. riii'nee ])rocee<ling on the fo''owing
day through woody dells and narrow tracts and chasms

REGIMENT OP FOOT.

139

; with
;ht at
lowing

between mountains, reached War-woman's Creek in the 1760
evening. Continuing the march on the 26th through a 2nd
country wild and rugged beyond description, the detach-
ment arrived on the following morning within eighteen
miles of the Indian town called Etchoey, and the troops
proceeded forward with caution. A few horsemen marched
in front and on each flank, — the grenadiers and light
infantry scoured the thickets, — and the four battalion
companies of the Royals marched in the rear. Arriv-
ing at a valley covered with trees and bushes, and
overlooked by hills on bot^ sides, Captain Morrison and
a few men pushed forwarc into the thickets, and were
assailed by a straggling fire, which proved fatal to the
captain, and the next moment the woods echoed with the
dismal bowlings of a thousand Indians raising their war-
cry. Undaunted by this appalling noise, the grenadiers
and light infantry rushed forward amongst the trees to
encounter the Indian warriors, — the four battalion com-
panies of the Royals supported the attack, — while the
Highlanders pushed forward on the left to cut off the
retreat of the Indians to the hills. The savage warri ,rs
soon gave way, — the Highlanders interc ,» ;d them in
their retreat, — the Royals pressed upon tne rear, and
a number of Indians were slaughtered amongst the trees
on the side of the hill. The main body of the Indian
army appeared soon afterwards on llic face cf the moun-
tain on the left of the line of march, and, with frantic
postures and horrid sounds, bid di!tiance to their white
advorsarie'-. The Royals, having gained the front of
the column, pushed forvvurd to engage their fierce opjio-
nents witi. distinguished bravery. The Indians oj)ened
a scattering fir\ and made the valley echo v.Jth their
whooping and howling ; but this noise produced little
efl'ect on the soldiers, who daulicd thr(>ugli the bushes

140

THE FIRST, OR ROYAt

Batt.

1760 and thick foliage with a " valour, discipline, and steadi-
2nd " ness, worthy of admiration ;" and, although the war-
riors kept up a sharp fire with their rifles for some time,
yet they eventually gave way. " The action lasted
" about an hour. Captain Manley Williams, of the
" Royals, was killed : he was truly a gentleman and an
" extreme good officer."* The Royals had also eight
m' -to men killed ; and Captain Peter Gordon, Ensigns
i^uiington and Knight, one serjeant, and thirty-two
private men, wounded.

The Indians fled from the field of battle towards
Etchoey, to alarm their won"^n and children ; and the
soldiers pressing forward soon drew near the town, when
a band of warriors opened a straggling fire from amongst
some trees and then fled. The town was found deserted,
but well stored with corn. The Cherokecs, finding them-
selves unable to resist the troops, abandoned several other
towns and fled to the mountains. At the same time
Colonel Montgomery, having no place of safety wheiu
he could leave his wounded men, did not advance any
farther, but retired on the 28tli of June to War-
woman's Creek. The Indians, taking courage fi*om this
retrograde movement, returned in swarms from the moun-
tains, and on the morning of the 29th the woods and
bushes on the line of march appeared crowded with
warriors ready to attack the troops in their re-
treat; but two officers and fifty men of the Royais
being sent out to scour the 'mshes on the right of the
road, and the same number of the Highlanders on the
left, they were chased from their lurking-places, and the
retreat was continuc(! to Fort Prince (Jeorgc.

The (.Commanding OflTicer, in his despatch, observes: —

• South Carolina Guzctte.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

141

Batt.

*' The fatigue was immense, yet not an officer or soldier 1760
" complained. The detachment has been all along in 2nd
" high spirits, judging nothing too difficult. Never did
*' greater harmony appear than amdngst the corps of our
" little army."

The two flank companies marched soon afterwards to
Charleston, and there embarked for New York, leaving
the four battalion companies in South Carolina under
the command of Major Frederick Hamilton.

The four battalion companies left in quarters at New
York, under Lieut.-Colonel Forster, had in the meantime
advanced up the country to Crown Point, of which place
the Lieut.-Colonel was appointed Commandant. Em-
barking from thence on the 11th of August, the four
companies sailed^ with several other corps ur.der Colonel
Haviland, down Lake Champlain towards Isle-aux-Noix\
and, having landed on the IGth, encamped on the left bank
of the River Richlieu. The riemy occupied a fort near
the river ; but when the batteries opened their fire against
it, the French commandani; retreated with the greater
part of the garrison, leaving an (>fficer and 30 men to
capitulate, who were made prisoners. Two other forts
were also abandoned by the French, and the Isle-aux-
Noix was taken possession of by tlio English. In the
meantime a British force, under General Amherst,
had proceeded to Oswego, embarked from thence on
Lake Ontario, and, sailing down the River St. Law-ence,
iMvaded the Fren<'h settlements in Canadji on diat
side, rnd advanced upon Montreal Quebec had been
c«ptur«'.d in the preceding yeai , and an ariny. com-
ma iid«'d by Major-Geiieral Murray, was advancing from
thence towards Montreal. The four companies of the
RoYA -5 and other troops, under Colonel Haviland, were
also advancing towards the same point by lake Champ-

142

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

'If'

1st
Batt.

1760 lain and the River Richlieu ; and the whole were united
2nd near Montreal on the 7th of September. The French

Governor, being unable to withstand the forces opposed
to him, surrendered on the following day ; and thus t'
conquest of Canada was effected with trifling loss. V" . !
the French battalions laid down their arms their coloi- ^
were demanded ; and their Commander answered : —
" Although the several regiments had brought with them
" their colours from France, they had, finding them
" troublesome and of little use in this ^ oody country,
" destroyed them."

While the second battalion of the Royal li giment
was thus engaged in North America the first battalion had
embarked from Ireland, under the cor imand of Lieut -
Colonel Home Elphinston, and sailed for Quiberon Bay,
on the coast of France, which station was appointed for
the rendezvous of an expedition under the orders of
Major- General Kingsley, designed for the capture of one
of the French islands in the Bay of Biscay, called Belle-
Isle ; but the death of King George II. occurring (25th
October, 1760) before all the troops arrived, the ex-
pedition was laid aside, and the battalion sailed back to
Ireland.

1761 The four companies of the second battalion left in
2nd South Carolina, under Major Hamilton, were stationed at

Charleston ; and, tlie Cherokee Indians having rejected
the proposed conditions for a peace, these companies,
with two of the 17th, three of the 22nd, and eight of
newly-raised provincials, proceeded up the country in
March, 1761, again to make war on the refractory
Indians. These companies encamped a short time on the
banks of the (^ongaree, from whence they proceeded in
May to Fort Prince George, and were joined by twenty
Chickasaw warriors from the country on the east side of

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

143

the Mississippi, and by King Heigler, with twenty 1761
Catawbas warriors. From Fort Prince George this com- 2nd
pany of regulars, provincials, and savages, advanced in
the early part of June against the middle Cherokees,
through a most difficult country. An officer of the ex-
pedition, in a letter published in July, 1761, observes : —
" The defiles and passes along War-woman's Creek are
" horrid ; on one side high and rocky mountains hanging
" over our heads, the path rocky, and no wider than for
" a single pack-horse ; and or the other side a deep and
" frightful precipice, at the bottom of which is the creek."
On the 10th of June, as the troops were on the march
along the banks of a river, the Indian army was dis-
covered, arranged for battle on a high woody hill on the
right of the line of march, with a straggling line of
warriors beyond the river. The Indian riflemen opened
an irregular fire, and immediately afterwards more than a
thousand warriors raised the dismal war-whoop, which
echoed in the woods and dells. This produced little
effiact on the soldiers, who advanced in regular order
to engage their savage antagonists. The commanding
officer observed, in his report: — "The troops behaved
" with great spirit and coolness, and by the heavy fire of
*' their platoons dislodged the enemy from the advan-
" tageous posts which they had taken possession of."
The firing continued until two in the afternoon, when the
Indians were driven from their posts and fled. The loss
of the four companies of the Ro ayls was three men killed ;
with Ensign Joseph Knight, and six men wounded.

After this victory the expedition continued its advance
into the Cherokee country : the Indians fled to their
mountain fastnesses ; and the soldiers laid fifteen towns
and villages in ruins, destroyed the crops of corn, and
afterwards returned to Fort Prince George. This pro-

#_J

144

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

■I

1761 ceeding convinced the Indians of their inability to resist
2nd the King's forces, and they sued for peace, which was

' accordingly granted them.

The other four battalion companies of the second
battalion of the Royal Regiment, which had been
engaged in the connnest of Canada in the preceding year,
had in the meantime proceeded from Montreal, across
the country, to New York, and, leaving the two flank
companies in garrison, embarked in April, 1761, for the
West Indies, under the orders of Colonel Lord Rollo.
About this period the British government had resolved to
capture the Island of Dominico, which was declared
neutral by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, but
had become subject to France ; and when the four com-
panies of the Royals arrived at Guadaloupe they were
selected to form part of the expedition for this sei*vice.
Sailing from Guadaloupe on the 4th of June, the troops
soon arrived at Dominico, effected a landing on the 6th,
under a sharp fire of cannon and musketry, captured a
flanking battery, and took the town of ^Roseau, the
capital of the island, in a few hours. In the evening of
the same day the troops assaulted ari carried the in-
trenchments above the town, and captured the French
commandant and several other officers; and no further
resistance was made. Thus the whole island was reduced
with trifling loss ; and Lord Rollo observed, in his
despatch : — " As to the King's troops, I cannot enough
" applaud the coolness and intrepidity with which they
" acted on this occasion."

Leaving Dominico in December, the four companies
of the Royals proceeded to Barbadoes, where a body of
troops was assembled, under the orders of Major Gene-
ral the Hon. Robert Monckton, for an attack on the

1762 French island of Martiuicu. A landing was effected

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

145

2nd
Batt.

inpanies

body of

■ Gene-

on the

elFected

in the early part of January, 1762, and the island 1762
was reduced in i'..-i succeeding mjath. "I cannot,"
observes the genei.), in his despatch, "find words to
" render that ample jusice which is due to the valour of
" His Majesty^s troops which I have the honour to com-
" mand. The difficulties they had to encounter in the
" attack of an enemy possessed of every advantage of art
" and nature were great ; and thoir ;■ '^severance in sur-
" mounting these obstacles furnishes a noble example of
« British spirit."

Wbi''3 the contest at Martinico was, in progress, the
fovr companies of the Royals which had been engaged
in ^tle war v/ith the Indians embarked from Charleston,
and sailed to the West Indies under the orders of Colonel
Grant. War had, in the meantime, been declared agahist
Spain ; an attack on the Spanish settlements in the West
Indies had been resolved upon ; and the four companies
of the Royals were placed under tht; orders of General
the Earl of Albemarle, to proceed against the valuable
settlement of the Havarmah, in the island of Cuba.
Proceeding through the Straits o^ Bahama, the expe-
dition arrived within six leagues «*t' the Havannah on
the 6th of June ; a landing was efic'cted on the following
day ; and on the 9th the troops took up a position between
Coximar and the Moro. The Moro fori being the key-
position of the extensive works which covered the town,
the capture of this place was of great importance ; and
the four companies of the Royal P; ginient formed part
of the force destined to make the attack on this formidable
fortress. The hardships endured in carrying on the
operations were very great: a thin .'.hI, hardly sufficient
to cover the troops in their approacn^'s, a scarcity of
water, and the labour of dragging the artillery several
miles over a rocky country, and under a burning sun.

146

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

2nd
Batt.

1762 were happily overcome by the unanimity which existed
between the land and sea forces. The progr* s; made in
erecting batteries, carrying forward approaches, and sap-
ping and mining the works, with the fire of the artillery,
having alarmed the Spanish governor, he resolved to
attempt to relieve the Moro. 1500 men were ferried over
the harbour, and they made three separate attacks on the
British line ; the four companies of the Royals were
brought forward to sustain the posts, and the Spaniards
were repulsed, with considerable loss. The siege was after-
wards continued with vigour ; two mines were sprung ;
a practicable breach was made, and a detachment of the
Royals was ordered to form part of the storming party,*
under Lieut.-Colonel Stuart, of the 90th Regiment. The
attack was made on the 30th of July. Lieut. Charles
Forbes, of the Royals, led the assault, and, ascending
thebrrach with signal gallantry, fonned his men on tho top,
and sooTi vlrove the enemy from every part of the ramparts.
Thi gari'ison was taken by surprise ; the Spanish corn-
man* !er, Don Louis de Velasco, exerted himself to save the
fortress ; and, while endeavouring to rally his men, he
was mortally wounded. The confusion amongst the
ranks of the enemy was thus augmented ; nearly 150
Spaniards were killed, 400 threw down their arms and
were made prisoners, and the rest were either killed in
the boats, or drowned in attempting to escape to the

* Return of troops engaged in the assault of Fort Moro, on the
30th July, 1762.

Officers. Serjeants. Rank and File.

Royal Regiment .... 6 5 102

Marksmen 8 8 129

90th Regiment .... 8 2 50

To sustain them —

56th Regiment . . . . 17 14 150

Total 39

431

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

147

IIS, attacked the
ill in it to the

:ack on the
>ew series of

Havannah. As Lieutenants Forbes, of the Royals, 1762
Nugent, of the 9th, and Holroyd, of the 90th Regiments, 2nd
were rongratulating each other on their success, the two
latter were killed by a party of desperate Spaniards, who
fired from the light-house. Lieutenant Forbes, being
exasperated at the death of his co
light-house with a few men, a
sword.

The capture of the Moro faciii
Havannah ; and on the 1 1 th of Auj_
batteries opened so well-directed a fire that at two o'clock
in the afternoon the guns of the garrison were silenced,
and flags of truce were hung out from every part of the
town and from the ships in the harbour. The capitu-
lation was signed on the .I3th, and on the following day
the British troops took possession of this valuable set-
tlement. Three Spanish men-of-war, with a company's
ship, were found sunk at the entrance of the harbour,
nine men-of-war were delivered up to the victors, and
two were found upon the stocks. The loss sustained by
the Royal Regiment in this important service was Lieu-
tenants Cook and Ashe, 1 Serjeant, and 31 rank and
file, killed; Captain Balfour, Lieutenant Ruth, Ensign
Keating, 2 Serjeants, 1 drummer, and 75 rank and
file, wounded ; two rank and file missing ; 3 men dead
of their wounds, and 12 from diseases arising from the
climate and severe exertions in carrying on the siege.

The British government having withdrawn many troops
from North America to the West Indies, the French
sent an armament across the Atlantic, and took possession
of St. John's, Newfoundland. Detachments were imme-
diately ordered from the British garrisons to dislodge the
enemy ; and the two flank companies of the second bat-
talion of the Royal Regiment, having been left in North

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148

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1762 America, were employed in this service, under the com-
2nd mand of Lieut.-Colonel William Amherst. A landing

was effected, on the 13th of September, at Torbay, and the
troops gained possession of the strong post of Kitty
Vittiy. A detachment was sent to the top of a high rock
which commanded the ford, and imder cover of the fire
, of these men the light companies of the Royal and
Montgomery's Highlanders passed the river. The grena-
diers of the Royal and 77th Regiments supported the
attack ; and the French were driven from their post on a
hill beyond the river. Two other heights were afterwards
carried ; and on the 17th, a battery being ready to open
its fire on the fort, the French commander surrendered.

In November of this year General the Hon. James
St. Clair died at Dysart ; and the Colonelcy of the
Royal Regiment was conferred on his cousin. Sir Henry
Erskine, from the Twenty- fifth Regiment.

1763 At the peace in 1763 the Havannah was restored to
Spain ; and the several companies of the second battalion
were withdrawn from North America and the West

1764 Indies, and sailed for England. In 1764 this battalion
proceeded to Scotland, where it remained four years.

1765 Sir Henry Erskine died in August, 1765, and was
succeeded in the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment by
John Marquis of Lome, atlerwards Duke of Argyle.

1768 In January, 1768, the first battalion embarked from
Ireland for Gibraltar, and was stationed in garrision at
that important fortress for several years.

and The second battalion remained in Scotland until the
spring of 1768, when it returned to England ; and in

1771 April, 1771, it embarked with the 51st and 63rd Re-
giments for the island of Minorca, to relieve the 3rd,
11th, and 67th Regiments.

1775 The first battalion was relieved from garrison duty at
lit
B«tt.

l8t

Batt

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

149

Gibraltar in the autumn of 1775, and arrived in England 1775
in December of the same year. The second battalion 2nd
was also relieved at Minorca in a few weeks after-
wards, and arrived in England in February, 1776 ; and 1776
both battalions remained in Britain until the autumn of
1780. 1780

The contest on the subject of taxation between Great ist
Britain and her North American Colonies having given
rise to hostilities in 1775, the insurgents were abetted by
France, Spain, and Holland. The French monarch
openly declared in favour of the rebellious colonists in
1778, the Spaniards in 1779, and a secret treaty between
the Dutch and Americans was discovered in 1780. Thus
the contest assumed a formidable character ; hostile pro-
ceedings extended from North America to the West
Indies; and in November, 1780, the first battalion of the
Royal Regiment embarked from Portsmouth to take
part in the contest.

On arriving in the West Indies the Royals proceeded, 1781
with other troops commanded by Major-General Vaughan,
and a naval force under Sir George Brydges Rodney, against
the Dutch island of St. Eustatia, which surrendered on
the 3rd of February, 1781, together with the neighbour-
ing isles of St. Martin and Saba. Property to an
immense amount wns captured on this occasion, and a
severe blow was thus inflicted on the Dutch.

The first battalion was afterwards stationed on the island 1782
of St. Christopher^ together with the flank companies of
the 15th, and a detachment of the Royal Artillery, which,
with a few militia, constituted the whole military force on
the island, and was commanded by Lieut-Col. Thomas
Fraser of the Royals, "a bravo old officer,"* who

Stcdman's History of the American War.

150

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

-t:^

1782 acted as Brigadier-General under the Governor, Major-

ist General Thomas Shirley.

In the early part of January, 1782, a French naval
force, and a fleet of transports with an army on board,
appeared before the island ; and the commander of the
British troops, being unable to oppose so formidable a
host, retired to Brimstone Hill, where he was joined by
the governor with a few militia. Unfortunately, the
principal inhabitants were in the interest of the enemy ;
80 much so, that twelve brass 24-pounders, two 13-inch
mortars, and a quantity of ammunition, sent from Eng-
land for their defence, were suffered, by the Council and
Assembly of the island, to lie in a useless state at the foot
of Brimstone Hill. The French Commander, the Marquis
de Bouille, immediately landed 8000 men and a for-
midable train of artillery, and advanced towards the hill
on which the garrison had taken post. The ground
occupied by the Royals, flank companies of the 15th,
and militia, was about 200 yards in diameter, and re-
markably strong ; but the fortifications were old and in
a ruinous state, and the troops had no intrenching tools :
they, however, resolved to defend the place as lor" as
possible, in hopes of being relieved.

Although the French had so great a superiority of
numbers they did not venture to attack the little band of
stout-hearted Britons on Brimstone Hill by storm, but
commenced the siege in regular form, — breaking ground
on Sommerfall's estate on the north-west side, and on
Rawlin's estate on the old road-side. The French
artillery opened its fire on the 19th of January, and from
that day a storm of balls and bombs rattled round
Brimstone Hill with increasing fury, until the houses on
the heights were battered to pieces, and the old works
were nearly destroyed.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

151

iBt

Batt.

During this period Rear- Admiral Hood appeared 1782
before the island with a British naval and land force, and
a body of troops effected a landing on the 29th of
January; but the French had so great a superiority
of numbers, and they had completely surrounded Brim-
stone Hill, so that these few troops could not be of
any use in attempting to save the island, and they re-
embarked.

The fire of the French batteries had, in the meantime,
dismounted or disabled nearly all the guns on the hill ;
several large breaches had also been made in the works
on the north-west side of the fort; the garrison was
reduced by sickness and other casualties to about 500
men; the want of intrenching tools rendered it im-
possible for the men either to repair the damaged works
or throw up intrenchments ; the provision-stores had also
been destroyed by the French batteries ; and the few
remaining men fit for service had to be under arms every
night, expecting the enemy to storm the hill. Yet,
under all these disasters, the garrison evinced that valour,
firmness, and constancy, for which the British soldier has
been distinguished at periods of extreme danger and
privation.

At length the governor and commander of the forces
" thought they should be wanting in humanity to the
" brave soldiers who had behaved so long with such
" fidelity and courage if they should subject them to all
" the horrors of an assault, which, firom the superior
" numbers of the enemy, and the ruinous condition of
" the place, could not fail to succeed. They therefore
" proposed a cessation of arms on the 12th of February,
" for adjusting the terms of capitulation, which was done,
" as the Marquis de Bouille did not impose hard terms

152

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1782 " on the soldiers of a garrison who had acquitted them-
ist " selves so well and had suffered so much."* " -

The garrison marched through the breach with drums
beating and colours flying, and, having laid down their
arms, the militia proceeded to their homes, and the
regular troops were sent to England, on condition that
they should be considered as prisoners of war until
exchanged. Brigadier-General Fraser observed, in his
despatch : — " Notwithstanding the event has proved
" unfortunate, I should be wanting in doing justice to
" the troops under my command if I concluded without
" saying that both officers and soldiers deserve the highest
" commendation. Under a constant fire of shot and
" shells, night and day (that I doubt has, in any instance^
" been exceeded), the officers showed a constant and
" universal cheerfulness, and by their example the soldiers
" bore the greatest fatigue with a firmness that deserves
" my acknowledgments." The loss sustained by the
battalion during this siege was, Lieutenants Wilson and
Clerk, Quarter-master Shungar, 3 Serjeants, 2 drum-
mers, and 22 rank and file, killed ; Captains Wallace
and Buckeridge, Surgeon Young, 6 serjeants, 4 drum-
mers, and 84 rank and file, wounded ; 2 private men
missing.

After the capitulation the battalion proceeded to

England, where it arrived in May, and, its exchange

having been settled, it resumed ni'Mtary duty.

Both On the 9th of May, 1782, the Duke of Argyle was

**■ removed to the 3rd Foot Guards ; and the Colonelcy of

the Royal Regiment was conferred on Lord Adam

* Naval and Military Memoirs of Great BritAin from 1727 to
1 783, by Robert Beatson, Esq., LL.D.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

153

Gordon, fourth son of Alexander, second Duke of 1782
Gordon.

Both battalions remained in England until the autumn 1783
of 1783, when, peace having been concluded, the second 2nd
battalion embarked for Ireland, from whence it pro-
ceeded, in the following year, to Gibraltar to relieve the 1784
Hanoverian corps, which had been performing duty in that
garrison during the war. At the same time the first ist
battalion proceeded from England to Ireland, where it
remained until January, 1790, when it embarked for the 1790
West Indies to relieve the 3rd Foot, and on its arrival
at its destination it was stationed at Jamaica.

Meanwhile a revolution had broken out in France ; 2nd

and in 1793 the French Monarch, Louis XVI., was

1793
beheaded by his subjects. Anarchy, confusion, and

bloodshed prevailed in that kingdom, and the revolu-
tionary party sought to involve other nations in the
like horrors. War was the result. A powerful party,
with principles favourable to monarchy, still existed in
France; and, although the kingdom was governed by
republicans, who maintained their authority by the terrors
of the guillotine, yet many patriots stood forward with
boldness in the cause of royalty ; and a union took place
between the cities of Marseilles, Lyons, and Toulon, in
favour of Louis XVII., which alarmed the ruling powers.
A republican army was sent against them, and Marseilles
immediately surrendered. At the same time the inha-
bitants of the celebrated port of Toulon^ the principal
station of the French navy, joined with Admiral Turgot
in proposing a negotiation with Admiral Lord Hood,
who commanded a British naval force in the Medi-
terranean, and the port was taken possession of in Au-
gust, 1793, by the British, in the name of Louis XVII.
The French general had no sooner obtained possession of

154

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt

1793 Marseilles than he advanced against Toulon. Strenuous
2nd exertions were made to procure troops to defend the
place : besides French loyalists and a few British troops,
detachments of Spaniards, Neapolitans, and Sardinians,
were procured, and the second battalion of the Ro^:..i.
Regiment embarked from Gibraltar to take part ir this
service.

The battalion landed at Toulon towards the end of
October, and marched on the evening of the same day to
an out-post called Les Sablettes, where it was partially
engaged with the enemy. Three companies were after-
wards detached to Fort Mulgrave.y an important post on
the heights of Balaguier, which covered the town and
harbour. This post was attacked on the evening of the
15th of November by a strong body of French republicans,
who were repulsed and driven back. Lieut.-General
O'Hara stated in his despatch on this subject : — " I have
" particular pleasure in mentioning that, on this occasion,
" the very spirited exertions of the British troops stationed
" in Fort Mulgrave, consisting of a detachment of the
" second battalion of the First, or Royal Regiment of
" Foot, commanded by Captain Duncan .Campbell, and
" of a detachment of the Royal Artillery, commanded by
" Lieutenant Lemoine, were the principal means of re-
*' pulsing the enemy, and of saving that important post.
«* Our loss, including Spaniards, Neapolitans, and Sar-
*' dinians, amounted only to 61. Among the wounded
" were Captain Duncan Campbell, of the Royals, and
" Lieutenant Lemoine, of the Artillery."

The enemy afterwards erected a battery on the heights
of Arenes, which much annoyed one of the principal out-
posts ; and a detachment of the Royals formed part of
the force, consisting of 400 British, 300 Sardinians, 600
Neapolitans, 600 Spaniards, and 400 French, commanded

KEOIMBNT OF FOOT.

165

by Major-General David Dundas, which issued from 1793
Toulon on the morning of the 30th of November, crossed 2nd
the river, traversed the olive-grounds, ascended the
heights of Arenes, and carried the battery with signal
gallantry. British valour was conspicuous on this
occasion ; but, unfortunately, an excess of ardour led to
a disastrous result. The French fled in dismay down the
hill ; the British and other troops, » following in full
career, passed the valley, and ascended other heights at
a considerable distance ; and when out of breath, and
exhausted with the chase, they encountered a superior
body of fresh adversaries, and were forced to retreat, and
Lieut.-General O'Hara was taken prisoner. Sir Gilbert
Elliot, Bart., who was an eye-witness, observed, in a letter
to the Secretary of State : — " It is a real consolation to
" know that the courage of the British was conspicuous
" from the beginning of the action to the end ; and that
" an excess of that good quality was the true and only
" cause of the miscarriage." The Royals lost, on this
occasion Lieutenant M'Kellar, 1 serjeant, and 9 rank
and file, killed ; Lieutenants Mackenzie and Colin
McDonald, with 2 Serjeants, 1 drummer, and 32 rank
and file, wounded ; Captains Reeves and Finnay
wounded, and taken prisoners ; Lieutenant Bird, 2 Ser-
jeants, 1 drummer, and 17 rank and file, missing.

The defence of Toulon with only 12,000 men of five
different nations, against an army of between 30,000
and 40,000 men, was found a difficult service. The
garrison had to occupy a circumference of fifteen miles,
by a number of posts, which required 9000 men for their
protection. In the middle of December the republican
army attacked the line of posts with great fury, and
forced a passage at several places. The Royals were
engaged in the defence of Fort Mulf/rave, and lost

156

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1793 1 Serjeant, 1 drummer, and 18 rank and file. After
2iid the line of posts was forced it was found impossible to

' maintain the town ; the French shipping, magazines, and
arsenal, were consequently set on fire, and the men of
the several nations embarked on board the fleet on the
19th of December. Detachments of the troops took part
with the seamen in the work of destruction ; and Lieu-
> tenant Ironmonger^ of the Royals, is stated to have been
the last officer who quitted the dock-yard gates. With
the republican army which attacked Toulon was an
officer of artillery, named Napoleon Bonaparte, who
afterwards arrived at the dignity of Emperor of France.

1794 After the evacuation of Toulon the fleet remained five
weeks in the bay of Hieres, during which time arrange-
ments were made for attacking the island of Corsica :
the fleet weighed anchor on the 24th of January,
1794, but was dispersed by a gale of wind, and the
Royals were driven to one of the ports in the island of
Elba, where they remained several days. On the 5th of
February they again put to sea, and on the evening of the
7th landed, with the 11th, 25th, 30th, 50th, 51st, and 69th
Regiments, in an open bay in the Gulf of Fiorenzo, in the
island of Corsica. On the following day the Royals and
51st were detached, under Lieut.-Colonel (afterwards Sir
John) Moore, with a small howitzer and a six-pounder
carried on the shoulders of a party of seamen, against For-
nelli Tower, and after traversing eight miles of rocky moun-
tainous country, destitute of roads, arrived at the heights
above the tower, but found the distance too great for the
light artillery to reach it ; and the two battalions after-
wards retired. Batteries were subsequently erected
against Convention Redoubt, which was considered the
key to the works on this part of the island ; and, the fire
of the artillery having produced some eflect, the Royals,

/•

REGIMENT OP FOOT.

157

commanded by Captain Mackenzie, and 51st Regiment, 1794
moved from their camp-ground on the morning of the 2nd
17th of February to attack the advanced point of the
redoubt ; at the same time the 50th Regiment marched
against the centre of the work, and the 2l8t proceeded
along the sea-shore ; the whole commanded by Lieut. -
Colonel Moore. After traversing some rocky grounds
covered with myrtle-bushes with great caution, the
troops arrived in the vicinity of the redoubt unperceived
by the enemy ; then, rushing forward, entered the works, •
and with their bayonets drove the French and Corsicans
down the steep hill in the rear. The enemy soon after-
wards evacuated the town of Fiorenzo, with the towers
and batteries in the gulf, and retreated to the Tower of
Tichine, situated on a high mountain between* Fiorenzo
and Bastia, an important sea-port and the capital of the
island. Speaking of this event, Lieut.-General Dundas
observed in his despatch, — " The conduct of Lieut. -
" Colonel Moore, of the several commanding oflBcers, and
" of the officers and soldiers under his orders, was firm
" and judicious, and merits every commendation."

Bastia was afterwards besieged by sea and land, and
surrendered on the 22nd of May. An assembly of the
Deputies afterwards agreed to unite the island to Great
Britain, which was performed with the solemnities cus-
tomary on such occasions. But. Cahi^ a fortified town
thirty-three miles from the capital, and situated on a
tongue of land which forms one of the most beautiful
harbours in the island, still held out ; and the Royals
formed part of the land force commanded by Lieut.-
General Stuart selected for the siege of this place. The
battalion accordingly embarked from Bastia, and, having
landed near Calvi on the 19th of June, took post on a
ridge of mountains three miles from the town. Owing

158

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1794 to the numerous rocky heights and steep mountains

2nd hefore the town, the soldiers and seamen had to make
Batt

roads along difficult precipices, to drag the guns up the

mountains, and to carry up materials for erecting the
batteries, which they performed with cheerful alacrity.
The fire of the heavy artillery having made a practicable
breach on the west side of the Mozello, on the 18th of
; July the light infantry and Royals, commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel Moore, " proceeded with a cool, steady
" confidence, and unloaded arms, towards the enemy,
" forced their way through a smart fire of musketry,
" and, regardless of live shells flung into the breach,
" or the additional defence of pikes, stormed the Mo-
" zello ; while Lieut.-Colonel Wemyss, with the Royal
" Irish Riegiment, and two pieces of cannon, under the
" direction of Lieutenant Lemoine, equally regardless
" of opposition, carried the enemy's battery on the
" left, and forced the trenches without firing a shot."*
The capture of these posts proved of great importance,
and, the siege being continued with vigour, the garrison
surrendered on the 10th of August. The loss sustained
by the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment was very
trifling, viz., about four men killed and Captain Colin
M'Donald and seven men wounded. The battalion was
afterwards stationed in garrison at Calvi, where it re-
mained nearly two years.

The republican principles which produced the revo-
lution in France soon extended to the French West
India settlements ; and the inhabitants of colour in the
island of St. Domingo (now the black empire of Hayti),
having imbibed the doctrine of equality, rose in arms
against the whites, and carried fire and bloodshed through

1st
Batt.

* Lieut.-General Stuart's despatch.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

159

revo-
West
in the
Hayti),
in arms
through

the settlement. Many of the planters having, from the 1794
distracted state of France, no hope of relief from that is*
country, were desirous of placing themselves under the
protection of Great Britain : a body of troops was ac-
cordingly sent to their aid, under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke ; and while the 2nd battalion
of the Royal Regiment was engaged in the defence of
Toulon and the capture of Corsica, the 1st battalion
embarked from Jamaica and sailed to St. Domingo.

Much resistance was met with from the republican
troops and revolted negroes on the island. In February,
1794, the light company of the Royals advanced against
the fortress of VAcaly in the vicinity of Leogane. Part
of the force designed for this service was embarked in
transports, and the remainder, including the light com-
pany of the Royals, proceeded by land. The wind
proving unfavourable, the troops in transports could not
disembark; the remainder, however, advanced against
the fort, — ascended the hill, which was rendered difficult
by trees placed in all directions, — and, attacking the
enemy with fixed bayonets, drove them from their works.
After obtaining possession of the fort, two officers and
thirteen private men were killed by the explosion of a
magazine, which was fired by a negro recently from
Africa, who did not know the use of gunpowder. One
of the officers thus killed was Captain Morshead, of the
light company of the Royals, who was wounded in
the assault of the fort. Captain Hutchinson,* of the
Royals, who was doing duty with the artillery, was
wounded at the commencement of the attack, but he
continued at his post of duty until the fort was carried.

Part of the battalion was afterwards engaged in an

* Afterwards General Sir Williani Hutchinson, K.C.H.

160

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

l8t
Batt

1794 unsuccessful attack on Bomharde, in which service six-
teen men were killed and twenty-six taken prisoners.
The attack was made before day -break in the morning,
and, the retreat being sudden. Ensign John Garston,
of the Royals, with eight men of his company, became
separated from the detachment, and, losing the road,
wandered in a wrong direction. Towards mid-day he
fell in with a patrol of six men of the enemy, and was
called upon to surrender; but this brave young officer
answered by a threat to fire upon them if they attempted
to interrupt him. He continued to stray farther from
his intended point; the enemy followed at a distance,
and again called upon liim to surrender, but he con-
stantly refused. At night the patrol, fatigued with fol-
lowing him over dry and sandy plains, retired. The
ensign and his little party continued to wander — fainting
with hunger, thirst, and fatigue— two days and a night,
during which time two men died of want and weariness,
having found nothing but the fruit of Indian fig-trees
and aloes. At length they arrived at a demolished port,
where they found an old fishing-boat, in which they
embarked, and arrived on the morning of the third day
at the entrance of the bay of the mole St. Nicholas, from
whence the fishermen brought them into the town.*

Lieutenant M'Kellar, of the Royals, who com-
manded the light company after the death of Captain
Morshead, occupied an unfinished block-house near the
fortress of VAcal, where he was attacked by the enemy ;
hut he repulsed the assailants with signal gallantry, and
his conduct on this occasion was mentioned in orders.
Port-au- Prince, the capital of the French possessions

* Ilaiiisford'H Ilistorinil Account of tho Black Kinpirc of
Ilayti.

KEOIMKNT OF FOOT.

161

cora-
uptain

jure

in the island, was still in the power of the republicans, 1794
and the siege of this place was resolved upon. The ist
flank companies of the battalion took part in this service,
and the enemy evacuated the town on the 4th of June,
and it was immediately occupied by the British troops.
Unfortunately, a malignant fever broke out in the town,
and the British lost 40 officers and 600 rank and file
within two months after the surrender of the place.

A detachment of the Royals, under Lieutenant
Clunes, formed part of the garrison of 120 men at Fort
Bizzeton, which was attacked on the 5th of December
by 2000 of the enemy, who were repulsed with con-
siderable loss. Major-General Sir Adam Williamson,
speaking of this afiair in his public despatch, stated, —
" Captain Grant (13th) and his two Lieutenants, Clunes
" of the Royals and Hamilton of the 22nd Regiment,
" merit every attention that can be shown them. They
" were all three severely wounded early in the attack, but
" tied up their wounds and continued to defend their
" posts. It has been a very gallant defence, and does
" them great honour." The loss of this little garrison
was, one Serjeant and four rank and file killed ; three
officers, one Serjeant, and thirteen rank and file, wounded.

A detachment of the battalion was engaged in the 1795
defence of an out-post at the coramencemerit of the year
1795 ; and Lieutenant Spencer was wounded, and Lieu-
tenant Watts killed, by the blowing up of a block-house.

The 2nd battalion had, in the mean time, remained in 1796
garrison at Calvi, in the island of (Corsica ; but the 2nd
French having violated the neutrality of the Grand ""*
Duke of Tuscany, and taken possession of the city of
Leghorn, directed the cannon of the fortresses against the
British shipping in the road, and seized on British pro-
perty ; it was believed they had the same design against

162

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1796 Porto Ferrajo, in the island of Elba; and the Royals
2nd were withdrawn from Corsica in July, 1796, to take
' possession of this place. Meanwhile the success of the
French arms in various parts of Europe, particularly the
victorious career of General Bonaparte in Italy, had
produced a revolution of feeling amongst the inhabitants
of Corsica. Bonaparte was a native of the island, and
the Corsicans gloried in him as a man who reflected
honour on his country ; this produced a feeling of
regret that the island had become annexed to Great
Britain, and they began to plot measures to effect its
separation. It appearing evident that the cost of the
defence would exceed the advantage derived from the
possession of the island, it was evacuated in October, and
the remainder of the troops proceeded to Elba, where
the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment was stationed.

1797 The Ist battalion had, in the meantime, been much
ist reduced in numbers by its arduous services in the island
of St. Domingo ; and in May, 1797, it returned to
England, from whence it was ordered to Scotland to
recruit.

The French republic had concluded a treaty of peace
with Spain, and entered into negociations with the Por-
tuguese ; but the Queen of Portugal refused to ratify the
treaty, and agreed to receive British troops into several
ports of Portugal. The 2nd battalion of the Ro ya l Regi-
ment was, in consequence, withdrawn in the summer of
1797 from the island of Elba to proceed to Portugal ; call-
ing ' *; Gibraltar, it there received drafts from the several
regiments in that garrison, and, on its arrival in the river
Tagus, it was placed in garrison at Cascaes, a small
sea-port in the district of Torres Vedras, fifteen miles
west of Lisbon, where the battalion was stationed during
the remainder of this and the following year.

Ban.

Batt.

RFGIMENT OF FOOT.

163

In 1798 the Ist 5 ,alion, having recruited its num- 1798
bers, proceeded from Great Britain to Ireland ; and in 1st
the beginning of 1799 the 2nd battalion was withdrawn 1799
from Portugal, and after its arrival in England it was 2nd
encamped on Barham Downs.

Bonaparte was at this period in Egypt, French troops
were also engaged in operations on the Rhine, on the
Danube, and elsewhere ; and a favourable opportunity
appeared to present itself for rescuing Holland from the
power of France, into which it had fallen after the
unfortunate issue of the campaign in the Netherlands in
1794. A plan of co-operation was concerted between
Great Britain and Russia, in the expectation that the
Dutch would rise in arms against the French, and in
favour of the Prince of Orange, and, aided by the
Anglo-Russian force, would exert themselves to effect
their emancipation. The 2nd battalion of the Royal
Regiment was selected to form part of the expedition to
Holland, and it sailed from Deal on the 13th of August,
with several other corps commanded by General Sir
Ralph Abercorabie, and, after some delay from contrary
winds, landed on the 27th on the Dutch coast, near the
Helder. A considerable body of French and Dutch
troops assembled near the point of debarkation, some
sharp fighting occurred, and in the evening the enemy
retreated to a position six miles in his rear. The gar-
rison in the Helder also abandoned its post, which was
taken possession of on the following day by the 2nd
battalion of the Royals and the 92nd Regiment. A
numerous train of heavy and field artillery was found in
this important post ; and two days afterwards the Dutch
fleet surrendered without striking a blow, and hoisted the
colours of the Prince of Orange.

The Dutch people did not, however, mHnifest a dis-

164

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1799 position to rise against the French ; but on the 10th of
^nd September the united French and Dutch forces attacked
Sir Ralph Abercombie's position near Shagen, and were
repulsed by the steady valour of the British troops. The
British conoimander observed in his despatch, — " It is
" impossible for me to do full justice to the good con-
" duct of the troops." The 2nd battalion of the Royal
Regiment had Lieutenant Gordon and three private men
wounded on this occasion.

Additional forces were sent from England, and His
Royal Highness the Duke of York arrived and took the
command of the army. A Russian force also arrived ;
and on the 19th of September an attack was made on
the enemy's position, but^ owing to the inconsiderate
valour of the Russians, it failed. On the 2nd of October
another attack was made on the enemy's positions be-
tween Bergen and Egmont-op-Zee^ in which the Royals
had another opportunity of signalizing themselves. " The
" points where this well-fought battle were principally
" contested were from the sea-shore in front of Egmont,
" extending along the sandy desert, or hills, to the
" heights above Bergen, and it was sustained by the
" British columns under those highly-distinguished
" officers General Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Lieut.-
" General Dundas, whose exertions, as well as the gal-
" lantry of the brave troops they led, cannot have been
*' surpassed by any former instance of British valour*."
The Royals were engaged with the enemy's troops
occupying the sand-hills in front of £gmont-op-Zee,
and lost on this occasion seven private men killed,
Captains Barns and Hunter, Lieutenants Ainslic, £d-
monston. Patten, Bowe, Fraser, and Johnstone, Ensign

♦ The Duke of York's despatch.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

165

Oth of
;tacked
i were
. The
•" It is
>d con-

ROYAL

,te men

nd His
ook the
irrived ;
aade on
isiderate
October
ions be-

ROYALS

« The
incipally
Egraont,
to the
by the
nguished
L Lieut. -
the gal-
ive been
mlour*."
's troops
t-op-Zee,
(1 killed,
slie, Ed-
;, Ensign

Birmingham, four Serjeants, and sixty-one renk and file 1799
wounded. Lieutenant Hope wounded and taken prisoner, 2nd
and ten rank and file missing.

The gallant conduct evinced by the battalion on
this occasion was afterwards rewarded with the Royal
permission to bear the word " Egmont-op-Zee" on its
colours.

The Dutch people were not aroused by these gallant
exertions on their behalf to make any attempt to deliver
themselves from the power of France ; and, several cir-
cumstances, calculated to render the expedition unsuc-
cessful having occurred, it was decided that, instead of
fighting for a people who were not resolved to be free,
the troops should be withdrawn from Holland. A con-
vention was in consequence concluded with the enemy,
and the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment returned
to England.

The 1st battalion was stationed during the whole of ut
this year in Ireland. ***'

The 2nd battalion did not remain long on home ser- 1800
vice before it was again ordered to embark ; and it 2nd
formed part of the force under Lieut.-General Sir James * '
Pulteney which landed on the 25th of August, 1800, on
the coast of Galicia, in Spain, with the view of attacking
the strong fortress of Ferrol, a sea-port situated at the
influx of the river Javia into the extensive inlet called
the Bay of Corunna. Having made good their landing,
the troops advanced to the heights which overlook the
town ; some sharp skirmishing took place, and the
Royals had one private soldier killed, and Lieutenant
Edmonston and one private soldier wounded. After
viewing the town and its defences, Sir James Pulteney
resolved not to lose time in attacking this place, but to
re-embark the troops and proceed to join General Sir
Ralph Abercrombie, who commanded a British force in

. f-''

166

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1st
Batt

2nd
Batt.

1800 the Mediterranean. The united forces afterwards sailed
2nd to Cadiz, and summoned the governor to surrender ;
but a disease was ravaging the city at the time, and the
fleet quitted the coast for fear of infection, and pro-
ceeded to Gibraltar.

During the summer the 1st battalion quitted Ireland,
and proceeded to Scotland, where it continued during
the remainder of the year.

After its arrival at Gibraltar the 2nd battalion was
selected to form part of an expedition under the orders
of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, designed to drive the French
army out of Egypt ; and in November it sailed from
Gibraltar to the island of Malta, where the men were
disembarked to refresh themselves after having been
many months at sea. The abundance of fresh provisions
which the island afforded, the comforts of the beautiful
city of Valetta, with the luxury of the scenery, soon
restored and reanimated the troops ; and on the 20th of
December the expedition sailed for the Bay of Mar-
morice, in Asiatic Turkey, where the fleet arrived in
nine days.

Here the troops remained for several weeks, in a bay
surrounded by mountains, which presented to the eye
the most picturesque scenery imaginable ; the regiments
were successively disembarked and exercised ; Turkish
horses were purchased for the cavalry ; gun-boats were
procured to cover the landing of the troops in Egypt,
and a plan of co-operation was arranged with the Tiu-ks.
The delays of the Turks detained the fleet some time ;
but on the 23rd of February, 1801, it again put to sea,
when a gale of wind dispersed the Greek and Turkish
vessels. The British continued their course, and having
arrived on the 1st of March ofl^ the celebrated city of
Alexandria, the ancient capital of Egypt, they bore down
at sim-set into the bay of Aboukir.

1801

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

167

ivisions
autiful
^ soon

The 2nd battalion of the Royals was formed in bri- 1801
gade with the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 54th, and the 2nd
92nd Highlanders, commanded by Major-General Coote, '
and formed part of the van-guard of 5000 men, which
entered the boats on the morning of the 8th of March,
to effect a landing. At nine o'clock the boats moved
forward, and as they approached the shore, the French
troops poured down a shower of shot, shells, grape, and
musketry, which cut the surface of the water into deep
furrows, and sank several of the boats. Yet the un-
daunted Britons pressed forward; — the resene leaped
out of the boats on the shore and formed as they ad-
vanced; — the 23rd and flank companies of the 40th
rushed up the heights in the face of dangers and difl&-
culties sufficient to intimidate ordinary men ; — the 28th
and 42nd also formed and mounted the position;— while
the Foot Guards and 58th prolonged the attack ; — and
the Royals and 54th pushed forward to sustain their
brave companions in arms- A column of French in-
fantry advancing through a hollow way with fixed bayo-
nets against the left flank of the Foot Guards, encoun-
tered the Royals and 54th ; the British pressed forward
to engage their antagonists with their characteristic
ardour; the French hesitated, fired a volley, and then
retreated; and the Royals and 54th continued their
advance. The regiments, which first ascended the
enemy's position, had already gained considt^rable ad-
vantage, and when the Royals reached the heights and
joined in the attack, the French retreated. They, how-
ever, maintained a scattered fire from the rear sand-hills
for about an hour and a half, when they were obliged to
retreat, with the loss of eight pieces of cannon and many
horses. Sir Ralph Abercrombie expressed his apj)ro-
bation of the conduct of the troops in general orders in
the following terms ; — " The gallant behaviour of the

168

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1801 " troops in the action of yesterday claims from the Com-
2nd " mander-in-Chief the warmest praise that he can be-

'Rn.tt

" stow ; and it is with particular satisfaction that he
" observed their conduct marked equally for ardent
" bravery, and by coolness, regularity, and order." The
loss of the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment was —
Lieutenant Lyster, 1 serjeant, and 11 rank and file,

killed; Captain M'Donald, Lieutenants Graham

and Fraser, 3 Serjeants, and 40 rank and file, wounded.

In the evening after the action the victorious troops
advanced three miles on the road towards Alexandria ;
on the 10th they advanced three miles further, and,
owing to the depth of the sand, the men were three
hours proceeding that short distance. On the 12th they
encamped near Mandora Tower, and on the succeeding
day marched through the wood of date-trees to attack
the enemy on the ridge of heights in front. Some sharp
fighting occurred, and the French were driven from their
position, and forced to retreat over the plains to their
lines on the heights before Alexandria. The Royals
lost during thb day's service 4 men killed and 21
wounded.

After this victory the British troops took up a po-
sition with their right to the sea, and their left to the
canal of Alexandria; and the Arabs visited the camp
and brought sheep, goats, fowls, eggs, and everything
the country afforded, and appeared happy to engage in a
friendly intercourse with their deliverers. On the 19th
500 Turkish troops arrived and encamped three miles in
the rear of the army. The French at Alexandria having
been increased in numbers by troops from the interior,
advanced on the 2 1st of March to attack the British,
and the Royals had another opportunity of acquiring
laurels on the distant shores of Egypt. The battalion,
being on the right of the 1st brigade, had its post in the

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

169

Batt.

centre of the frontline, on the left of the Foot Guards. 1801
As soon as the day dawned a column of French grena- 2nd
diers advanced, supported by a heavy line of infantry, to
assault this part of the position. The Foot Guards threw
forward a line of skirmishers ; these being driven in, and
the French column near, the brigade opened its fire with
great precision. The enemy attempted to turn the left
flank of the Guards, but was checked ; and the Royals,
with the remainder of their brigade, coming forward at the
moment to engage the enemy, the French grenadiers were
driven from their ground and forced to retreat. A crowd
of French sharp- shooters afterwards advanced against the
Royals and other regiments at this part of the field,
and the French artillery played incessantly. But the
British stood their ground manfully, and repelled the
attacks of the enemy with a constancy and valour which
redounded to their honour. The French were repulsed
at every point of attack, and forced to retreat ; and at
10 o'clock A.M. the action ceased. The splendour of
the victory was, however, clouded with the fall of the
British commander. Sir Ralph Abercrombie, who was
wounded in the action and died a few days afterwards.
The loss sustained by the !2nd battalion of the Royal
Regiment was — ^9 rank and file killed; with Captain
Goodson, Lieutenants Gordon, M'Pherson, and John-
stone, 1 Serjeant, and 68 rank and file, wounded. Four
days after the battle, between five and six thousand
Turks arrived. Soon afterwards a body of British and
Turks traversed the country to the city of Rosetta,
situated near the mouth of one of the great channels of
the river Nile, a place distinguished by the beauty of its
environs, being completely embosomed in a grove of
date, banana, scycamore, orange, lemon, and pomegranate
trees, while the lofty palm-tree, towering over all, added

170

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1801 magnificence to the landscape. This place was soon
2nd captured; but the fort of St. Julian held out, and,
' while the siege was in progress, the Royals marched
across the country to Hamed, on the Nile, five miles
above Rosetta, where they arrived on the 12th of April.
A small force of British, Turks, and Greeks, assembled
at this place, to cover the siege, several skirmishes
occurred, and the Royals had two drummers and eight
private men killed.

After the surrender of St. Julian, General Hutchinson,
who commanded the British forces in Egypt, having
left a body of troops before Alexandria, advanced with
the remainder, on the 5th of May, along the banks of
the Nile, through a rich country, aboimding in rice,
sugar, wheat, barley, and other necessaries and luxuries
of life, and on the 7th of May drove the French from
the post of El-Aft. He also forced the enemy to quit
their fortified post at Rahmanie, and to retire through
the desert to the city of Cairo, the metropolis of modern
Egypt. The Royals had three men wounded in the
skirmish near Rahmanie. The British and Turks con-
tinued their route along the banks of the Nile, and ar-
rived, on the 1st of June, within sight of the Pyramids.
On the 8th they encamped within a few miles of these
stupendous structures, where they halted several days ;
then advanced to Cairo and commenced the siege of the
city, and in a few days the French surrendered the place.
The capture of the capital of Egypt added additional
lustre to the British arms ; and the brave men, whose
skill and prowess gained these honours, were rewarded
with the approbation of their Sovereign and the thanks
of Parliament. From Cairo the British and Turks
retired down the Nile, and proceeded to the vicinity of
Alexandria, and, having driven in the French out-posts.

/■

reoim£:nt of foot.

171

besieged the city, which was surrendered in the beginning 1801
of September. The Royals had one serjeant and seven 2nd
private men killed before Alexandria, and also sustained
considerable loss from the effects of fatigue and climate.

The nations of Europe had witnessed with anxiety the
progress of this important struggle, and, when the vete-
rans of France were overpowered, the dawn of liberty
appeared above the distant horizon.

The British troops having, by a display of gallantry
and heroism which exceeded the most sanguine expect-
ations of their country, overcome the boasted " Invin-
" cible" legions of Bonaparte, and forced the French
" Armj/ of the East" to evacuate Egypt, from whence
its ambitious and tyrannical leader had vainly imagined
he should be able to extend his conquests throughout
Asia, King George III. conferred upon the Royals and
other corps, which had thus exalted the military fame of
Great Britain, the honour of bearing on their colours the
Sphynx, and the word " Egypt," as a distinguished
mark of His Majesty's royal approbation of their
conduct.

The 1st battalion had, in the meantime, marched
from Scotland to England ; and it sailed on the 1st of
January, 1801, from Portsmouth for the West Indies,
under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Nicholson. A
combination had been entered into by the courts of
Sweden, Denmark, and Russia, to support the principles
of an armed neutrality, contrary to the stipulations of
treaties, and injurious to the interests of Great Britain ;
orders were in consequence issued for the attack of the
Swedish and Danish islands in the West Indies ; and
the Royals joined the expedition, commanded by Lieut.-
General Thomas Trigge, at the island of St. Bartholo-
mew, on the '22nd of March. On the 24th the troops

Batt.

172

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1801 made good their landing on the Danish island of St.
1st Martin. After landing, the Royals, with the 11th and

2nd West India regiments, proceeded to the French
quarter and took possession of Lee Hill, which com-
manded Fort Chesterfield. The artillery was dragged
up the heights, and preparations made for commencing
the attack, when the governor surrendered.

One wing of the battalion, and a detachment of the
Royal Artillery, were left at St. Martin's under Lieut.-
Colonel Nicholson, who was appointed to the command
of the troops and the charge of the administration of the
island. The other wing, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel
J. C. Cowell, proceeded with the expedition to the island
of St. Thomas, which surrendered, together with St.
John, and their dependencies, on the 28th of March ;
and on the 31st of the same month the Danish island of
Santa Cruz was taken. The battalion was then sta-
tioned, half at the island of St. Martin, and half at St.
Thomas.

In August, 1801, General Lord Adam Gordon died,
and was succeeded in the Colonelcy of the Royal Regi-
ment by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, from
the 7th Royal Fusiliers.

In November of the same year the 2nd battalion was
withdrawn from Egypt, and proceeded to the island of
Malta, where it remained upwards of four months.

1802 The victories gained by the British troops in Egypt,
the West Indies, and other parts of the globe, weiv^ fol-
lowed by a treaty of peace, which was cocluu '^. Di
Amiens; and in May, 1802, the 2nd battalion of the
Royal Regiment proceeded from Malta to Gibraltar.

1803 It quitted Gibraltar in the beginning of 1803, and
procr" vd to England. Soon after its arrival the war
ag.^in broke out, and it was ordered to the West Indies,

2nd

REGIMENT 01 FOOT.

173

Batt.

where it arrived in June. It was inspected at Barba- 1803
does by Lieut.-General Greenlu-ld, and immediately 2nd
afterwards proceeded with an expeditinn against the
French island of St. Lucia. The 1 st division, consisting
of the Royals and two field-pieces, landed on the island
in the afternoon of the 21st of June, under the orders of
Brigadier-General Brereton. The other corps followed ;
the ) rei ch out-posts were driven in, and the town of
C^iStuks frJten possession of. On the following morning,
betbre daylight, the Royals and 64th regiment ad-
vanced to attack the strong post of Mbrne Fortune by
storm. The Royals led the assault in gallant style ;
tha redoubt was carried with fixed bayonets, and the
enemy immediately surrendered. On the same day
Lieut.-General Greenfield issued a general order, in
which he stated : —

" The Commander of the Forces has the honour to
" congratulate the troops under his command on the
" gallant attack and capture of the fortress of Mome
" Fortune, and the unconditional surrender of the island
" of St. Lucia.

" He shall have particular satisfaction in reporting to
" the King the readiness with which the troops forming
" the expedition were embarked on the shortest notice :
" he must, in particular, speak of the gallant behaviour
" of the second battalion of the Royals."

The loss of the battalion on this occasion was 1 Ser-
jeant, and 8 rank and file, killed ; Lieut.-Colonel Mac-
donald. Captain Chaloner, 2 Serjeants, and 43 rank and
file, wounded ; and 1 rank and file missing. Both the
o£^cers afterwards died of their wounds.

As a mark of His Majesty's approbation of the signal
gallantry evinced by the Royals on this occasion, they
were permitted to bear the words "Saint Lucia" on
their colours..

174

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1st
Batt

1803 After the capture of St. Lucia the expedition pro-
2n(l ceeded to Tohago^ where it arrived on the 30th of June.

The troops landed without opposition, and marched in
column towards Scarborough ; the French governor,
General Berthier, was summoned, and he surrendered
the island on the same day. The Royals were after-
wards stationed at the island of Tobago for several
months.

The first battalion, which had been in the West Indies
since 1801, was employed in 1803, under Lieut. -General
Greenfield, 'u capturing the islands belonging to the
Batavian republic. Essequiho and Demerara sur-
rendered on the 20th of September, 1803 ; and the
island of Berhice surrendered to Lieut. -Colonel Robert
Nicholson, of the Royals, on the 23rd of that month,
when the Batavian garrison, of upwards of GOO men, was
made prisoners.

1804 While the first and second battalions were in the West
3rd Indies two additional battalions were embodied at Ila-
4°h railton, in North Biitain, on the 25th of December, 1804,

Batts. jjj^(^ added to th'i establishment of the First, or Royal
Regiment of Foot, which now consisted of four bat-
talions, all fit for active service.

1805 Soon afterwards the fourth battalion marched to Stir-
4th ling Castle, and, after doing duty there a short time, em-

^*"- barked for Ireland.

3pj In May, 1805, the third battalion marched from

!**"• Scotland to the south of England.

2nd 1*1 February of the same year the two flank companies
of the second battalion were detached from Tobago, for
the defence of the island of Antigua ; and the battalion
companies embarked for the defence of Trinidad ; and in
July the whole returned to Tobago, where the batta-
lion remained luitil November of the same year, when,
after transferring its tifiective non-commissioned officers.

Batt.

tiJ

or
nil

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

175

drummers, and private men to the first battalion, it 1805
embarked for England, and landed in January, 1806, a i806
mere skeleton. 2nd

This year (1806) the fourth battalion quitted Ireland,

Batt.

4th
and on its arrival in England it was quartered at Batt.

Horsham, and afterwards at Bexhill barracks. The 3rd

third battalion was also stationed, during the winter of

the same year, at Bexhill barracks.

In the meantime information arrived in England of 1807
the revolt of two battalions of Sepoys, in the service of 2nd
the East India Company, at Vellore, and of their attack
on a few companies of the King's troops at that place in
July, 1806 ; also of the alarming spirit of insubordination
evinced by the native troops in other parts of India ; and
the second battalion of the Royal Regiment was imme-
diately ordered to embark for India, to strengthen the
European force in that country. When the order
arrived the battalion only mustered about 500 men ;
but it was completed in twenty-four hours to 1000, by
volunteers irom the third and fourth battalions, then
at Bexhill barracks. On the 17th of April, 1807, it
embarked at Portsmouth in six China ships, under the
orders of Lieut.-Colonel A. Stewart, arrived off the west
coast of the Malay peninsula in September following, and
landed on the 18th of that month on the Prince of
Wales's Island.

The third battalion had in the meantime proceeded to 3rd
the island of Jersey, from whence it embarked, in Sep-
tember, for Ireland.

The fourth battalion, consisting, after it had transferred ^•''
its service-men to the second, of about 40 rank and file,
embarked in April of the same year at Portsmouth, for
Scotland ; arrived at Glasgow on the 29th of that month,
and commenced recruiting its numbers.

- 1- ■ \

THE FIRST, OR ROVAL

4th
Batt,

3rd
Ban

1807 While tlie second battalion remained at the Prince of
2nd Wales's Island it lost about 100 men from disease. In

November it embarked for the continent of India, landed
at Madras in December, and, marching into the interior,
was stationed at Wallajahbad and Bangalore, where

1808 it remained until March, 1808, when it returned to
Madras.

During the summer of 1808 the fourth battalion,
having recruited its ranks, embarked from Scotland, and
arrived in England in August.

The resistance of the Portuguese and Spaniards to the
tyrannical government of Napoleon had, in the mean-
time, occasioned a British force to be sent to their aid ;
and Portugal had been freed from the power of France.
Spain was overrun by the legions of Napoleon ; the
Spaniards were rising in arras in every quarter ; and a
British force was ordered to their aid, under the com-
mand of Lieut. -General Sir John Moore. The third
battalion of the Royal Regiment was selected to form
part of this force ; and it accordingly embarked at Cork
in September, 1808, under the command of Lieut -
Colonel Andrew Ilay,* and sailed for Spain with a body
of troops under the orders of Lieut.-Gencral Sir David
Baird. These troops landed at Corunna in October, and
marched up the country ; at the same time another
British force was advancing into Spain from the frontiers
of Portugal, under Sir John Moore ; and a junction was
effected on the 2(>th of December at Majorga, from
whence the united forces advanced on the following day
to Sahagun, in the province of Leon. The Spaniards
had, however, been defeated and dispersed ; and the f(^w

* This ofRciT rose to tlio rank of Miyor-(Jonornl, and was killod
lipt'oro Hiivoiiiu' in 1H14.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

177

Batt

killod

1809

troops under Sir John Moore were unable to cope with 1808
the overwhelming numbers with which Napoleon ad- 3rd
vanced to attack the British army. A retreat was
consequently resolved upon; and the third battalion of
the Royal Regiment shared with the other corps in all
the fatigues and privations consequent upon a retrograde
movement, continued for a distance ^of 250 miles, along
roads covered with snow, over mountains and rivers, and
through narrow defiles, with an enemy above three times
as numerous as themselves following in full career, and
frequently skirmishing with the rear-guard. Yet such
was the ability of the British commander, and the
native energy and resolution of the troops, that this
retrograde movement was successfully executed, and in
the middle of January, 1809, the army arrived, un-
broken, in front of Corunna. Napoleon, having been
foiled in his object, had desisted from the pursuit ; but
he had detached a large body of troops, under Marshal
Soult, to pursue the British to the sea-shore; and a
general engagement was fought on the 16th of January,
when the British were victorious. The third battalion
of the Royal Regiment was formed, on this occasion,
in brigade with the '26th (Cameronians), and the second
battalion of the 81st, under Major-Gcneral Manninghani,
in the division commanded by Sir David Baird. Before
the action commenced. Captain Rowan was sent forward
with 100 men of the Royals, and joined tlie 81st
Regiment, which had also been posted in advance. On
the approach of the enemy this party was attacked by
very superior numbers, and (^aptain Rowan brought
back very few of his men. When the enemy approached
Sir David Baird's division, it did not wait to be attacked,
but advanced under a licavy fire to meet its oj)ponont3 ;
on no occasion was the valour of British troops more

178

i-v

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

2nd
Batt.

1809 manifest, and the Royals, with the remainder of their
3rd brigade, were thanked in general orders for their gallant
conduct. This victory was, ho^over, purchased at the
expense of many valuable lives; and the death of Sir
John Moore, who was killed by a cannon-ball, was an
irreparable loss to his country. The British troops
afterwards embarked at Corunna, and returned to Eng-
land. When the Royals arrived in England, it was
discovered that they had sustained, in killed, wounded,
missing, and death from fatigue, a loss of about 250
men ; and their gallantry was rewarded with the Royal
permission to bear the word Corunna on their colours.

This year (1809) the •2nd battalion marched, under
the command of Lieut.-Colonel H. Conran, from Fort
St. George, Madras, to take the field. Previously to
quitting this station the following order was issued by
the Governor-General in Council : —

" On the march of the 2nd battalion of the Royals
" from the garrison of Fort St. George, Lieut. -Colonel
" Conran will assume the command of the force under
" the orders of march to the ceded districts, without
" interfering with the command of the troops in the
" centre division of the army.

" The Governor-General in Council is pleased to ex-
" press his entire approbation of the conduct of the 2nd
" battalion of the Royals while they have been stationed
" at Fort St. George.

" The Governor-General in Council requests Lieut.-
" Colonel Conran will accept the expression of his
" warmest thanks for the able and satisfactory manner in
" which he has conducted the duties incidental to the
♦* command of the troops in the garrison of Fort St.
" George."

After the Royals had been in the field a short time

I i

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

179

they were separated, and one wing proceeded to Hyder- 1809
abad, and the other to Masulipatam, a considerable sea- 2nd
port in the district of Condapilly, where they remained *""
during the succeeding year.

The 3rd battalion had, in the meantime, been selected 3rd
to form part of an expedition to Holland, under the
command of the Earl of Chatham, for the purpose of
destroying the enemy's shipping, arsenal, &c., on the
Scheldt. It accordingly embarked from Portsmouth in
July, under the command of Major Gordon, and landed
at Wdlcheren^ one of the Dutch islands in the German
ocean, situated at the mouth of the river Scheldt, and
was engaged in the siege of Flushing^ the capital of the
island. On the 7th of August the enemy issued from
the town, and attacked the British troops. " Their
" principal effort was directed against the small wood on
" the left of our advanced piquet on the dyke ; and
" their left column advanced towards that point in a
" heavy mass, attempting to deploy while they entered
" the small meadow which lies between the two woods.
*' Here they were received with a most destructive fire
" by the Royals, posted on the dyke, and were gal-
" lantly charged by the light company of that regiment."
These gallant exertions being seconded by the 5th and
35th regiments, and two six-pounders, the enemy fell
back, having sustained very considerable loss.

An attempt was afterwards made to drive the enemy
from their posts in front of the advanced piquets. " The
" 3rd battalion of the Royals advanced along the sand-
" hills ; and the light company of that battalion, under
" Captain Hay, charged the enemy most gallantly. Very
" little resistance was made, and the enemy retired into
" the suburbs of the town, to which they set fire. They
" had with them two small field-pieces, one of which wns

180

Tllli: FIRST, OR ROYAL

3rd
Batt.

1809 " taken in a most gallant manner by Lieutenant Jackson
" and thirty men of the Royals."* The Commander
of the Forces expressed his approbation of the conduct of
the Royals on this occasion, in general orders, and attri-
buted the success principally to the rapid and gallant
charge made by Captain Hay with the light company at
the moment of the enemy's deployment.

The siege was afterwards prosecuted with vigour, and
the town surrendered on the 15th of August. After the
capture of this place, the expedition prepared to carry
the original design into execution ; but the enemy had,
in the meantime, removed his shipping higher up the
Scheldt, and collected so large a body of troops for the
defence of Antwerp, that further proceedings were
abandoned, and the troops returned to England. The
loss of the Royals in this expedition was — Lieutenant
M'Lean, 1 drummer, and 8 private men, killed ; Cap-
tain J. Wilson, Lieutenants Jackson and M'Kenzie, 7
Serjeants, and 81 rank and file, wounded ; and 6 rank and
file missing. The unhealthy climate of Walcheren, how-
ever, produced a much greater loss from disease.

1810 The Ist battalion had continued in the West Indies,
1st and was sta' .med at Demerara and Tobago, from whence

fifty men were detached, under the command of Captains
Lynch and Mullen, f to form part of an expedition under
Lieut. -General Sir George Beckwith, K.B., against the
island of Guadaloupe. The Royals formed part of the
2nd battalion of light infantry, under Lieut. -Colonel David
Stewart, of the 8th West India Regiment. A landing
was effected on the 28th of January, 1810, and the

Batt.

• Journal of Quartermaster- General Brownrigg, laid before
Parliament.

t Captain Mullen was on the Staff at Barbadocs, but volunteered
his services on this expedition.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

181

Royals took part in the operations, by which the ^enemy 1810
was forced to surrender the island in the early part of ist
February. The Royals had 3 rank and file killed, and
I Serjeant and 12 rank and file wounded, in this service.

A British army was at this period in Portugal, under 3rd
tlie command of Lieut-General Sir Arthur Wellesley;
and the 3rd battalion of the Royal Regiment, having,
after its return from Walcheren, been recruited to 1000
rank and file, embarked at Portsmouth in February,
1810, under the command of Lieut-Colonel Bams,* for
Portugal. After landing at Lisbon it joined the army
under Sir Arthur Wellesley, and formed j)art of Major-
General Leith's division. Marshal Massena was ad-
vancing from Spain with an immense army, and he
vaunted that he would drive the English into the sea.
The British and Portuguese troops manceuvred to retard
the advance of the enemy, and in September the army
took up a position on the rocks of Busaco. This po-
sition was attacked by the enemy on the 27th of Sep-
tember ; a desperate engagement ensued, and the British,
by astonishing efforts of valour, overcame their antago-
nists, and stood triumphant on the lofty heights. Sir
Arthur Wellesley, in his despatch, stated, — "Major-
" General Leith reports the good conduct of the
" Royals ;" and the royal permission was afterwards
obtained for the regiment to bear the word Busaco on
its colours, in commemoration of the good conduct of the
battalion in this engagement.

The army afterwards retired to the lines of Torres
Vedras, where a series of works constructed with skill
opposed an insurmountable barrier to the progress of the

* Now Lieut, -General Sir J. Stevenson Barns, K.C.B., Colonel
ol" the Twentieth Regiment of Foot.

182

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

'il!!;

ii.i. i3

1810 enemy. The French Marshal, after reconnoitring the
3rd works, retired to Santarem, and the two armies con-
^^ fronted each other during the remainder of the year.

4th The 4th battalion proceeded, in August of this year,
^Jj*- from England to Scotland ; the Ist battalion continued
Batt. in the West Indies; and the 2nd battalion passed the
Batt. year at Hyderabad and Masulipatam, in the East Indies.

1811 In the early part of 1811* the left wing of the 2nd
battalion of the Royal Regiment proceeded by forced
marches from Hyderabad to Masulipatam, where it
joined the right wing, in the expectation of embarking
with the expedition commanded by Lieut.-General Sir
Samuel Auchmuty, against the Dutch island of Java.
The battalion mustered 1036 rank and file, and the
officers and men panted for an opportunity to signalize
themselves ; but, to their great regret, the order for their
embarkation was countermanded. They remained at
Masulipatam until July, when they proceeded to Tri-
chinopoly, a strong city in the Camatic.

3pj The 3rd battalion remained opposed to the French
^**' army in Portugal. Marshal Massena occupied his
position at Santarem until his numbers were reduced by
sickness and privation, and on the night of the 5th
March, 1811, he retreated towards the frontiers. The
Royals, moving forward with the army, took part in the
operations which followed ; the French retired into Spain,
leaving a garrison in Almeida, which was blockaded by
the allies. Having crossed the frontiers, the Royals
wc.j engaged on the 5th of May at FuerUes d'Onor,
on which occasion the French Marshal was defeated in

* In this year (1811) was living at the village of Dclmes, in
Scotland, John Reed, aged 100 years ; he was a [H'ivatc in the 2nd
battalion of the Ruyal Regiment at the battle of Culloden, in 1746,
and was in the batluiion u[)wards of 40 years.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

183

his attempt to relieve Almeida. The Royals had one 1811
seneant and 8 rank and file wounded in this action.* 3rd

This battalion was also before the strong fortress of
Ciudad BodrigOj when it was besieged by the allied
army in January, 1812, and captured by storm on the 1812
19th of that month.

On the Uth of February, 1812, « His Royal Highness
** the Prince Regent was pleased, in the name and on the
** behalf of His Majesty, to approve of the First,
" OR Royal Regiment of Foot, being in future
" styled. The First Regiment of Foot, or Royal
" Scots."

From the province of Leon the 3rd battalion marched
towards Spanish Estremadura, and was before the city of
Badajoz when that fortress was besieged and taken by
storm in the month of April; in which service the
Royals had two officers wounded ; namely. Lieutenants

* At a Scots corporation dinner, held in London on the 4th of
May, 1811, on the health of the Duke of Kent, the , Colonel of the
Rotal Regiment, being drunk, his Royal Highness rose to re-
turn thanks, and, in the course of his speech, said : — " My royal
** brother has been pleased to praise the regiment in which I have
" been employed, and have had the honour to command, and I
'* too can bear testimony to the spirit and gallantry of the
" Scottish soldiers. From the earliest days, when I commenced
" my military life, it was always my utmost aim to arrive at the
" command of a Scots regiment, and to bring that regiment into
" action would have been the greatest glory I could have attained,
" as 1 am well convinced the officers and men would have jus-
*' tified my most sanguine expectations ; their courage, pcrse-
" verance, and activity, being undoubtedly such as may always be
" relied on ; and they are alwayi= able and willing to do their
" duty, if not more than their AvXy" His Royal Highness took
great interest in the welfare of the regiment ; and he this year
presented, by the hands of Lieut.-Colonel M'Leod, a gold medal
to Serjeaat Manns of the regiment, for the very meritorious manner
in which he had educated upwards of 800 soldiers and soldiers'
children.

184

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1812 Rea and 0*Neil, who were attached to the engineer's

3rd department.

After the capture of Badajoz the hattalion proceeded
with its division (the 5th) towards Ciudad Rodrigo, and
advanced upon Salamanca, which city the French were
forced to evacuate in the middle of June. The enemy
retreated beyond the Douro, and part of the allied army
advanced to Trabancos. The French subsequently re-
passed the Douro, when the Royal Scots, with the
remainder of the division, advanced to Torredlle de la
Orden, to cover the retreat, and insure the junction of
the corps in advance. On the 18th of July the French
army commanded by Marshal Marmont pushed forward,
some sharp skirmishing occurred, and the Royals were
partially engaged, and had two men wounded. The
allied army afterwards retreated, and took up a position
on the rocky heights near Salamanca.

On the 22nd of July, while the French army was
manoeuvring and extending to the left, the r<i 'tish com-
mander commenced the attack at a favourable moment.
The 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots, with the re-
mainder of the 5th division, formed behind the village of
Arapiles; and, advancing from thence, attacked the
enemy in front with distinguished bravery, and, engaging
in a fierce combat of musketry, drove the French from
one height to another. Lieut-General Leith, command-
ing the division, was carried out of the field wounded.
Lieut.- Colonel Bams was severely wounded while leading
the battalion to the charge, and obliged to withdraw, and
the command of the Royal Scots devolved on Major
Colin Campbell. The battalion continued to press for-
ward, and forced the legions of Napoleon to give way.
A decisive victory was ultimately gained ; and the
vulour of the Royal Scots was rewarded with the

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

185

Royal permission to bear the word Salamanca on their 1812
colours. Major Campbell signalized himself at the 3rd
head of the battalion after the fall of Lieut.-Colonel
Barns, and was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel
in the army. The loss of the battalion in acti(m was, —
Lieutenant Neils Falks, 1 serjeaut, and 22 rank and
file, killed ; Lieut.-Colonel Bams, Captain Logan,
Lieutenants Kellett, O'Neil, M'Killigan, and Clark,
Ensign Stoyte,* 7 Serjeants, 2 drummers, and 120
rank and file, wounded. Volunteer M'Alpin, who was
attached to the Royal Scots, was also wounded.

After this victory the battalion advanced with the army
to Madrid, and was present at the surrender of the Retiro
on the 14th of August. From Madrid the battalion pro-
ceeded to Burgos^ where it remained during the siege of
that fortress, in which Lieutenant Rea of the regiment,
who was acting as engineer, was again wounded. When
the British Commander found himself unable to with-
stand the overwhelming numbers which were advancing
against him, he retired, and while on the retreat the
Royal Scots were detached to Palencia, to protect the
men employed in the destruction of the bridges over the
Carrion. The enemy assembled a considerable force at
this point, and Lieut.-Colonel Campbell retreated to
Villa Muriel ; the battalion was sharply engaged during
this day's manoeuvres, and had 2 Serjeants and 6
rank and file, killed; 1 serjeant and 7 rank and file
wi anded ; and 1 serjeant and 26 rank and file missing.
The retreat was continued to the frontiers of Portugal,
where the Royal Scots passed the winter.

During this contest the tyrannical decrees published

* This officer was shot through the hand whilst bearing tho
colours, the ball passing through the flag.

186

THK FIRST, OR ROYAL

fiatt.

1812 by Napoleon, with the view of destroying the commerce
^ist of Great Britain, had occasioned the government to issue
orders in council respecting the trade of neutral nations,
for the purpose of counteracting the intentions of the
French Emperor. The enforcing of these orders, and the
pressing of British seamen on board of American ships,
eventually brought on a war between the British Crown
and the United States of North America ; and the Ist
battalion of the Royal Scots was withdram from the
West Indies, where it had been stationed since 1801,
to strengthen the British force in Canada. Five com-
panies and the head-quarters embarked from Demerara*
on the 24th of April, and sailed for Barbadoes. During
their passage a remarkable eruption of Mount Soufire, in
the island of St. Vincent, took place on the 1st May, when
a total darkness ensued, which continued for nearly six
hours, accompanied by a fall of volcanic ashes which
covered the decks and rigging of the vessels. The five
companies stationed at Tobago and Berbice had pre-
viously arrived at Barbadoes ; and on the 24th of Juno
the whole battalion, mustering 1094 rank and file, under
the command of Major John Gordon, sailed in seven

* '* Demerara, 20th of April, 1812.
" General Order.
" Major-General Carmichael cannut refrain from expressing
his regret on the departure of the Royal Scots. The honour-
able testimony from Governor Bcntinck and the inhabitants
of the good conduct of the regiment for nearly nine years cor-
responds with the opinion the Major-Greneral has formed of
their correct discipline and military order in all respects, which
evince the incessant attention of Colonel Stewart and the
officers of the corps. He sincerely wishes them every happi-
ness, and looks forward with the pleasing hope of meeting Uie
regiment on future service.

(Signed) " A. Stewart,

'• Brigade Major *'

RKOIMENT OF FOOT.

187

transports for Quebec. During the passage one of the 1812
transports was captured by an American frigate ; but ist
it was afterwards allowed to proceed on its voyage on
conditions of not 8erving against the United States until
regularly exchanged. In the early part of August the
battalion arrived at Quebec ; and on the 14th of that
month the flank companies, under Major Gordon, and
a detachment of the Royal Artillery with a light three-
pounder, proceeded in bateaux to Point Levi, but re-
turned to Quebec towards the end of the same month.

In the beginning of September the flank companies
sailed up the St. Lawrence to Montreal, and proceeded
from thence to Chambly, a fort on the river Sorel,
which issues from Lake Champlain. In November the
head-quarters and five battalion companies marched,
under the command of Major Gordon, for St. John's ;
but on their route they received orders to proceed direct
to Montreal, to resist the threatened attack of an Ame-
rican force under General Dearborn. The plans of the
enemy were disconcerted, and General Dearborn re-
treated without making the attack, when the five com-
panies of the Royal Scots proceeded to their ori^al
destination.

The 2nd battalion, in the East Indies, remained at 2ud
Trichinopoly ; and in July, 1812, four companies,
commanded by Captain John Gordon, were ordered to
suppress a mutiny amongst the Company's native troops
at Quilon, which then threatened most serious conse-
quences to the British possessions in India. After per-
forming this service, the four companies returned to their
former quarters at Trichinopoly.

Three of the companies and the ^head -quarters of the 1813
1st battalion in Canada were withdrawn from St. John's ist
in April, 1813, to Montreal, where two other companies ^^"*

18S

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1813 also arrived from Quebec. Soon afterwards an attack
i8t on the American post at Sacketfs Harbour^ on Lake
' Ontario, was resolved upon; and 2 Serjeants and 25
rank and file of the Royal Scots were placed under
the orders of Colonel Baynes, to take part in this
service. The grenadier company was also ordered from
Chambly to engage in the expedition ; but before
its arrival, the other troops sailed from Kingston, and,
having effected a landing on the 29th of May, advanced
with great gallantry along a causeway connecting the
island with the main land, dashed into a thick wood,
and, encountering the Americans, drove them from
amongst the trees. The detachment afterwards set fire
to the American storehouses near the fort, and retired.
The Royal Scots had 2 private men killed, 7
wounded, and 1 taken prisoner by the enemy, in this
service.

During the same month, the light company of the
Royal Scots was sent from Chambly to Kingston, for
the purpose of instructing the flank companies of the
Canada militia regiments, which had been formed into
a light battalion, in light infantry drill.

On the 4tli of June the head-quarters and one com-
pany arrived at Kingston, from Montreal ; on the 17th
seven comj)anie8 advanced to Four-Mile Creek ; and
on the following day two companies embarked from
Kingston, under the command of Lieut. -Colonel Gordon,
to attack a strong post occupied by the Americans at
Sudius, The detachment made good its landing on the
20th of Juno, captured a great quantity of stores, and
burnt the public buildings; ad re-embarking on the
same day, sailed to Four-Mile i-reek ; having sustained
a loss of 3 private men killed, nnd 1 scrjcant and 3 pri-
vate men wounded.

* »

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

189

While the battalion lay at Four-Mile Creek, frequent 1813
skirmishes occurred between the British and Americans ; ist
and on the 12th of August the Royal Scots had several ***'
private men wounded.

From Forr-Mile Creek the battalion proceeded to
St. David's, and went into cantonments at that place
until the 1st of September, when it marched to Cross-
roads, and was there partially engaged with a body of
Americans, but experienced little loss. The battalion
encamped a short time at Cross-roads ; and on the 8th
of October some sharp fighting took place, in which the
Royal Scots had 5 private men wounded, and 1
taken prisoner. On the 11th the battalion went into
quarters at Burlington.

Notwithstanding the severity of a Canadian winter,
military operations wei? continued; and on the 17th
of December the grenadier and one battalion companies
of the Royal Scots marched from Burlington, under
the command of Lieut. -Colonel Gordon, towards Nia-
gara ; and on the 19th the grenadiers, commanded by
Captain Bailey, assisted at the storm and capture of
Fort Niagara without sustaining any loss ; and the
battalion company advanced to dislodge the enemy from
the heights of Lewiston. Colonel Murray, in his report
of this transaction to Lieut. -General Drummond, ob-
serves — " I have to express my admiration of the valour
" of the grenadier company of the Royals under Cap-
" tain Bailey, whose zeal and gallantry were very con-
" spicuous ;" and in a general order published at
the time, Lieut.-General Drummond stated — " The
" troops employed on this occasion were the grenadier
" company of the Royal Scots, 100th regiment, and
" flank companies of the 44^h. Their instructions were,
" not to fire, but to carry the place at the point of the

190

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

iii

Batt.

1813 " bayonet. These orders were punctually obeyed — a
1st " circumstance that not only proves their intrepidity,
" but reflects great credit on their discipline.

" Lieut.-General Drummond will perform a most
" gratifying duty in bringing under the notice of his
" Royal Highness the Prince Regent, through his Ex-
" cellency the Commander of the Forces, the admirable
" execution of this brilliant achievement on the part of
" every individual concerned.

" The Lieut.-General has received from Major-Gene-
" ral Riall a very favourable report of the zeal and
" alacrity of the detachment of the Royal Scots under
" Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, and the 4l8t battalion companies
" under the command of Major Friend, who advanced
" under the Major- General's command to dislodge the
" enemy from the heights of Lewiston. The Lieut.-
*' General has only to regret that the enemy's rapid
•' retreat from Lewiston heights did not afibrd to Major-
" General Riall an opportunity of leading them to vie-
« tory."

After this success five companies of the battalion,
under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, crossed
the Niagara river, and were employed, on the 29th of
December, in storming the enemy's batteries at Black
Rock and Buffalo, and in burning and laying waste the
enemy's frontier l)etwecn these places and Fort Niagara ;
in which service 2 corporals and 13 private men were
killed, and 3 Serjeants and 27 rank and file wounded,
and 6 rank and fih^ were missing. The conduct of the
troops on this service was described in general orders as
follows : —

" The conduct and bravery of the officers and soldiers
" of the advance-corps of the right division having been
*' crowned with the most comi»l''te success by the capture

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

191

" of Fort Niagara, with all the enemy's guns and stores, 1813
" and the destruction of four armed vessels, and of the 1st
" cover along the whole of their frontier from that fort
" to Buflalo Creek — a measure dictated not only by
" every consideration of military policy, but authorised
" by every motive of just retaliation — it only remains
" for Lieut.-General Drummond to thank the troops for
" their exertions, and to express his admiration of the
" valuable qualities which they have displayed in the
" course of that short but severe service, in which they
" have cheerfully borne the absence of almost every com-
" fort, and the rigours of a climate for which they were
" far from being prepared. The immediate reward of
" their gallant conduct the Lieut. -General trusts will be
" felt 'in the repose which they have so well earned for
" themselves, by depriving the enemy of all the mean'» of
" present annoyance ; the more remote recompense of
" their exertions will be found in the approbation of their
" king and country."

While the Ist battalion was actively employed in
Canada, the 2nd battalion marched to Bangalore ; and
in April, 1813, the right wing, commanded by Lieut.-
Colonel M'Kellar, took the field, and joined the force in
the southern Mahratta country, under the orders of
Lieut.-Colonel Dowse, and remained in the field twelve
months.

Meanwhile the 3rd battalion, advancing from the fron-
tiers of Portugal into Spain, was actively employed in
operations. Tho BVench army, disconcerted by the
superior tactics of the British commander, retreated, and
t(»ok up a position in front of Vittoria. Tho allied
array followed the retreating enemy in full career, traversing
rocks and mountains, passing rivers, and overcoming

2nd
Bate.

3r(I
Batt.

192

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1S13 difficulties heretofore deemed insurmountable, still ho-
ard vering round the retiring enemy, and attacking his
* columns when an opportunity offered. On one of these
occasions the Royal Scots were engaged (18th June)
near Osma, and had 3 rank and file killed, 9 wounded,
and 4 missing.

On the 21st of June the army advanced in three
columns to attack the enemy in his position in front of
Vittoria. The Royal Scots, commanded by Lieut.-
Colonel Campbell, being in the left column under Lieut.-
General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch,
advanced against the enemy's right flank. This portion
of the army carried the heights commanding the village
of Abechuco, and then advanced against the village of
Gamarra Major, which was carried in gallant style, the
enemy being dislodged at the point of the bayonet with
great slaughter, and the loss of three guns. Lieut.-
Colonel Campbell of the Royal Scots was severely
wounded, and the command of the battalion devolved on
Major Peter Fraser. Towards the close of the action
the Royal Scots, with the remainder of the division,
crossed the river Zadora, turned the enemy's right, and
cut off his retreat by the Bayonne road. The other
divisions were also successful at their several points
of attack ; the French army was completely routed,
with the loss of its cannon, ammunition, baggage, and
military chest j, and it fled a mere wreck to the frontiers
of France. Tlie gallant conduct of the Royal Scots
in this memorable action was rewarded with the Royal
permission to bear the word "Vittoria" on their
colours. The battalion lost Captain llay and Lieu-
tenant Glover, who died of their wounds ; 1 1 rank
and file killed ; Lieut.-Coloncl Campbell, Lieutenants

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

193

Batt.

Armstrong, Rea, M'KilHgan, and Cross, Ensign Green, I813
Volunteer Dobbs, 4 Serjeants, and 92 rank and file, 3rd
wounded.

After this victory the Royal Scots marched towards
the coast, and were engaged in the siege 'of the strong
fortress of St. Sebastian. A breach having been made
on the left flank, Major-General Hay was directed to
storm the fortress with his brigade, of which the Royal
Scots formed a part.

Tlie battalion had passed the night of the 24th of
July in the trenches. At daybreak on the following
morning it led the attack under the orders of Major
Peter Fraser, and, though exposed to a most destructive
shower of grape and musketry, which thinned the ranks,
it advanced in the teeth of this storm of fire, in the most
cool and determined manner. Major Peter Fraser,
while gallantly encouraging his brave followers by his
example, was killed ; and Captain MuUen, being next in
seniority, assumed the command of the battalion, which
duty he performed with much credit. Though the
cannon of the fortress thundered in front, the French
soldiers poured down their volleys of musketry, and
hand-grenades, shells, and large stones, flew in showers
through the darkened air ; yet onward went the Royal
Scots, and assailed the breach with a degree of valour
and intrepidity which rivalled the gallant exploits of
their predecessors under the great Gustavus Adolphus.
But the defences round the breach had not been de-
stroyed, and success was found to be impossible ; the
storming party was consequently ordered to retire.* The

* " The R0TAL8 led the attack, on wliich occasion the dis-
" tinguishfid gallantry of this corps was most conspicuous."

*' The Royals refused to give way in the least, until General
*• Hay nsccived orders, through General Oswald, from General

194

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

'■m

Batt.

1813 battalion lost, on this occasion, Major Fraser, Captain
3rd Cameron, Lieutenants Anderson, Clark, Massey, and
Adjutant ClufF, 6 Serjeants, and 75 rank and file, killed ;
Captains Arguimbeau, Logan, Stewart, Macdonald, and
Buckley, Lieutenants O'Neil, Eyre, and Reynolds,
Volunteer Miller, 7 Serjeants, and 230 rank and file,
wounded ; Lieutenant Reynolds died of his wounds, and
Lieutenant Eyre was taken prisoner.

The siege was afterwards prosecut.'d with vigour, and
on the 31st of Ai'gust the fortress was again attacked by
storm. The Royal Scots, commanded by Lieut.-
Colonel Barns, were directed to make their attack on the
lei't of the second breach, and were supported by the
38th regiment. The assault was made with great gal-
lantry ; some of the traversers of the semi-bastion were
carried by the leading companies, but were retaken by
the enemy. Nothing could exceed the bravery and
steadiness of the troops employed at this point ; and the
enemy, observing the whole division in motion, sprung a
mine on the top of the curtain ; but the explosion was
premature, and only a few of the leading men of the
Royal Scots sufl^ered from it. Yet undismayed by the
bursting mine, and fierce opposition of the enemy, the
Royal Scots pressed forward upon their adversaries,
and carried the coverlain ; the troops crowded into the

Graham, to retire, it liaving been found that success was phy-
sically impracticable, as the defences round the breach were
not destroyed ; and, from the showers of musketry, grape,
hand-grenades, shells, and large stones, with which the attack-
ing column was assailed, it appears miraculous that any es-
caped." — Extract from Sir T. Graham's despatch.
'•The Royal Regiment proved, by the numbers left in the
breach, that it would have been carried, had they not been op.
posed by real obstacles, which no human prowess could over-
come." — Extract from Division Orders.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

195

phy-
were

town in every direction, and in the course of an hour 1813
were masters of the place, excepting the citadel.* 3rti -

On the 8th of September batteries mounting fifty-four ^* ^'
pieces of ordnance opened a tremendous fire upon the
citadel. In less than three houre the enemy hoisted a
flag of truce, and, after some discussion, surrendered.
As a testimony of the royal approbation of the signal
valour evinced by the Royal Scots during this siege,
and of the value attached to their services, they were
permitted to bear the words " St. Sebastian" on
their colours. Their loss in the successful storm of the
town was. Ensign Boyd, 3 serjeants, 1 drummer, and
48 rank and file, killed ; Lieutenants Armstrong,
Holebrooke, Macdonnell, Clark, and Suckling, 7
Serjeants, and 133 rank and file, wounded. Captain
James Stewart, who was performing the duty of aide-de
camp to Major-General Hay, was killed from the castle
while reconnoitring the works on the 4th of September.
Captain Robert Macdonald was promoted to the rank of
Major in the army, for his distinguished services at the
storm of St. Sebastian.

After the capture of this fortress the troops advanced
to the frontiers ; and on the 7th of October the light
company of the Royal Scots, commanded by Lieu-
tenant J. N. Ingram, crossed the Bidassoa, followed by
the remainder of t'^e battalion and that portion of the
army which had reduced St. Sebastian; the Royal
Scots being the first British corps of the allied army

* "Major-General Hay speaks most highly of the conspicuous
" gallantry of Colonel Barns in the successful assault of the
" coverlain, with the brave battalion of the Royal Scots."

" Indeed I conceive our ultimate success depended upon the
" repeated attacks made by the Royal Scots."— Sj> Thomas
Graham's despatch.

196

THE FIRST, QR ROYAL

Batt.

1813 which entered France. Thus, after driving the legions
3rd of Napoleon out of Portugal and Spain, the seat of war
was transferred to the enemy's country ; and the in-
terior of France became the scene for the display of
British prowess. After crossing the Bidassoa the troops
drove the enemy to the heights of Irun, a distance of
about three miles.

On the 10th of November the enemy's formidable line
of works on the river Nivelle were attacked, and the
Royal Scots, with the other regiments of the 5th
division, drove the enemy from a field redoubt, and
pursued them under the guns of Bayonne. The bat-
talion lost, on this occasion, 1 rank and file, killed, and
4 Serjeants and 15 rank and file wounded. Fur- '
ther operations were retarded by snow and rain ; but
in the early part of December the array passed the river
Nive^ and drove the French into their entrenched camp
in front of Bayonne; from whence they issued on the
three following days, and attacked the allies, but were
repulsed. The Royal Scots were warmly engaged on
these occasions, and their gallantry was rewarded with
the royal permission to bear the word " Nive" on their
colours. Their loss was 3 rank and file killed, and
1 Serjeant and 3 rank and file wounded.

In the meantime important events had transpired on
the continent of Europe. The invasion of Russia by
Napoleon, the burning of Moscow, the disastrous re-
treat of the French army from the north, and the se-
paration of Prussia, Austria, and other states, from the
interest of Napoleon, were followed by a treaty of alliance
and subsidy between Great Britain and Sweden, in
which it was stipulated that a Swedish army commanded
by the Crown Prince should joir. the allies ; and on the
2nd of August, 1813, the 4th battalion of the Royal

4th

Batt

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

197

;ions
' war
3 in-
aiy of
Toops
ice of

le line
id the
le 5th
t, and
le hat-
jd, and
Fur-
a ; hut
le river
d camp

on the
ut were
aged on
led with

on their
led, and

ipired on
Russia by
trous re-
i the se-
from the
)f alliance
»veden, in
immanded
ind on the
le Royal

Scots embarked under the comma^id of Lieut. -Colonel 1813
Muller for Stralsund, in Swedish Pomerania, forming 4th
part of an expedition sent thither under the orders of * '
Major-General Gibbs. Thus a battalion of the regi-
ment proceeded to the same part of the world to which
a body of daring Scots, who formed the nucleus of this
distinguished corps, proceeded exactly 200 years before,
to engage in the service of the Swedish monarch. The
battalion remained at Stralsund until the middle of
December, when it advanced to support the army of the
Crown Prince of Sweden on the Elbe, and halted on the
24th of December at Lubeck.

Thus at the conclusion of the year 1813 the regiment
had four battalions on foreign service in three different
quarters of the globe ; namely —

1st battalion in Upper Canada, America. ^^-

2nd „ the East Indies, Asia. L '=• ^--'^^

3rd „ France, Europe. . .-'■ '

4th „ Germany, „

The services of the Ist battalion were limited, during 1814
the early part of 1814, to the usual duties of a corps i»t
stationed on an enemy's frontier. On the night of the
3rd of March, Captain Stewart received information of
the appearance of a strong body of Americans in Long-
icood, in advance of Delaware town ; and he directed the
light companies of the Royal Scots, and 89th regiment,
to march at daybreak, to support the advance posts.
At five o'clock on the evening of the 4th the Americans
were discovered, in very superior force, posted on a com-
manding eminence, protected with breastworks formed of
logs of wood. The companies of the Royal Scots and
89th instantly attacked the enemy in front, " in the most
gallant manner," while a company of rangers, and a de-
tachment of Canadian militia, made a flank movement to
the right, and a small band of Indians made a similar
movement to the left, with a view of gaining the rear of

Batt.

198

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1814 the position. " After repeated efforts to dislodge the enemy
1st '* in an arduous and spirited contest of an hour and a half s
" duration, which terminated with the daylight, the troops
" were reluctantly withdrawn, having suffered severely,
" principally in officers."* The Royal Scots had
Captain David Johnstone, I serjeant, and 9 private men
killed ; Lieutenant Angus Macdonald, 2 Serjeants, and
37 private men, wounded ; and a bugler taken prisoner.
The battalion assembled at Fort George on the 1st
of June ; and on the 3rd of July two flank and five
battalion compaiues marched from that place towards
Chippewa. In the meantime a body of Americans had
landed at Black Rock, and had driven in the garrison
of Fort Erie. On the 4th the enemy advanced in force
by the river, and the light company of the Royal Scots
was engaged in a skirmish with the American riflemen.
On the 5th of July a severe engagement with very supe-
rior numbers of the enemy took place. f The attack
was not attended with success. Major-General Riall,
speaking of the conduct of the troops in general orders,
observed — " Although their efforts were not crowned
" with the success they deserved, yet he has the greatest
" satisfaction in saying ' was impossible for men to have
" done more, or to have sustained with greater courage
" the heavy and destructive fire with which the enemy,
" from his great superiority in numbers, was enabled
" to oppose them." The Royal Scots had Captain
E. P. Bailey, 5 Serjeants, and 71 rank and file killed ;
Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, Lieutenants W. Campbell, A.
Macdonald, A. Campbell, J. T. Connell, B. Fox, George

* Extract from General Orders.
t The Americans were about 6000 strong, and the British only
1600: namely, Royal Scots, 500; ist battalion King's Own,
480; lOOth regiment, 450 ; one troop 19th Light Dragoons; and
a proportion of artillery. — LondonGazette.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

199

Jackson, and Charles Hendrick, 12 Serjeants, and 132 1814
rank and file, wounded ; Captains E. M. Bird and John ist

ser-

Wilson severely wounded and taken prisoners ;
jeants and 72 rank and file missing.

Fort Erie afterwards surrendered to the superior
numbers of the enemy ; the Royal Scots returned to
Fort George ; and on the 13th of July seven companies
took up a position at Fifteen-mile Creek.

The three companies left at Fort George quitted that
place a few days afterwards, and, having crossed the
Niagara river on the 25th of July, marched to Lewiston
to attack a body of the enemy ; but the Americans fled,
and the Royal Scots captured a quantity of stores and
other articles. The three companies afterwards repassed
the river at Queenstown ; and, advancing to the Falls of
Niagara, fonned in the position of Lunibjs Lane, under
the orders of Lieut.-General Drummond. In the mean
time the other seven companies were on the march from
Fifteen-mile Creek towards the Falls.

The three companies of the Royal Scots had scarcely
taken their post in the centre of the position of Lundy's
Lane, when about 5000 Americans advanced, and at-
tacked the British troops with great fury ; and a most
sanguinary contest ensued. During the heat of the con-
flict the seven companies of the Royal Scots arrived
from Fifteen-mile Creek, under the command of Lieut.-
Colonel Gordon, and took post on the right of the line.
The enemy attempted to force the centre for the purpose
of gaining the crest of the position, but were repulsed
with loss, and the Royal Scots distinguished themselves
in driving back the assailants. About nine in the
evening there was an intermission of firing ; but the
Americans renewed the attack soon afterwards with
fresh troops, and a fierce conflict of musketry and
artillery followed in the dark. The Americans charged

Batt

200

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1814 up the hill; the British gunners were bayoneted while
1st in the act of loading, and the guns were in the possession
of the enemy for a few moments ; but the troops in the
centre, where the three companies of the Royal Scots
were fighting, soon drove back the Americans, and retook
the guns. The storm of battle still raged along the
heights ; the muzzles of the British and American artil-
lery were within a few yards of each other, and the fight
was kept up with a sanguinary obstinacy seldom wit-
nessed. In limbering up the guns, at one period an
American six-pounder was put by mistake on a British
limber, and a British six-pounder on an American limber.
At one moment the Americans had the advantage ; at \
the next the shout of victory rose from the British ranks ;
and about midnight the enemy retreated.* The troops
were thanked for their distinguished bravery in general
orders on the following day ; and " the admirable steadi-
" ness of the Royal Scots, under Lieut.-Colonel Gor-
" don, at several very critical points and movements,
" claimed the Lieut.-General's particular notice." The
three companies in the centre of the line particularly dis-
tinguished themselves, and were twice mentioned in the
Lieut.-General's public despatch in terms of the highest
commendation. The Royal Scots lost on this occasion
Lieutenant William Hemphill, 3 Serjeants, 1 drummer,
and 48 rank and file, killed and missing ; Captain Brere-
ton, Lieutenantfj Haswell and Fraser, 4 Serjeants, and
93 rank and file, wounded ; Lieutenants Clyne, Lament,
and Fraser taken prisoners. The conduct of the batta-
lion on this occasion, with the distinguishet^ bravery
evinced by the grenadier company in the storn of Fort
Niagara on the 19th of December, 1813, obtained the Royal

* The Ainericuns were 5000 strong ; the British were 2800.—
London Gazette,

RKGIMENT OF FOOT.

201

let
Batt.

permission to bear the word " Niagara" on the colours 1814
of the regiment.

An attack on Fort Erie having been resolved upon,
the 1st battalion of the Royal Scots appeared before
this place on the 4th of August, and formed part of the
besieging force. During the progress of the siege several
slight skirmishes occurred ; and on the 10th of August
the Royal Scots had Lieutenant Gregor M'Gregor and
3 private men killed and 9 private men wounded.

The batteries having produced an impression on the
place, a general assault was made on the fort and ad-
joining works on the 15th of August before daybreak ;
and two companies of the Royal Scots formed part of
the force selected to storm the fort and entrenchments
leading from it to the lake. This portion of the storm-
ing party made its attack with signal gallantry, and after
a desperate resistance succeeded in effecting a lodgment
in the fort through the embrasures and demi-bastion,
and turned the guns against the enemy, when a sudden
explosion of some gunpowder placed under the platform
occurred, and almost a - 1 the men who had entered the
place were either kilKMl or dreadfully mangled. This
occasioned the triKtps to retreat; the enemy opened a
heavy fire of mu>ketry, and the storming party retired.
The eight companies of the Royal Scots which had not
taken part in the storming of the fort were immediately
thrown out to cover the retreat — " a service which that
" valuable corps executed with great steadiness.'" The
loss of the batta,lion in this unfortunate affair was —Cap-
tain Torrens and 32 rank and file killed, 2 Serjeants and
37 rank and file wounded.

The troops continued before the fort, and on the 9th
of September 2 private soldiers of the Royal Scots

♦ Lieut.-Gcncral Drumniond's Despatch,

%
I

202

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1st
Batt

1814 were killed, and Lieutenant P. Grant wounded by a
shell. On the 17th the enemy made a sortie, and an
engagement took place, which lasted nearly five hours.
" On the right the enemy's advance was checked by the
" 1st battalion Royal Scots, supported by the 89th
«' regiment, under the command of Lieut. -Colonel Gor-
" don of the Royals ; and in the centre he was driven
" back by the Glengarry light infantry, under Lieut.-
" Colonel Battersby, and directed by Lieut. -Colonel
" Pearson, inspecting field officer."* On this occasion
the battalion lost 2 Serjeants and 22 rank and file killed
and missing ; Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, Lieutenant Rut-
ledge, and 30 rank and file, wounded. Lieutenant Rut-
ledge died on the same day, and Lieut.-Colonel Gordon
on the 25th.t

On the 17th of October the battalion marched to
Chippewa, and engaged the enemy at Cook's Mills,
drove the Americans from their post, without sustaining
any loss. Shortly afterwards the battalion proceeded to
Fort Niagara, where it was stationed during the re-
mainder of the year.

In April, 1814, the left wing of the 2nd battalion in
the East Indies marched to Bellary ; at the same time
the right wing, forming part of the force in the southern
Mahratta country, quitted the field, and joined the left

• General Orders,
f A stone was placed in the church at Montreal, Lower Canada,
with the following inscription .—

" In memory of Lieut.-Colonel John Oordon, com-
" manditig the Ist battalion Rojral Scots Regiment of
" Foot, who departed this life on the 25th of September,
" 1814, in consequence of a wound received in action
" with the enemy in front of Fort Erie, on the 17th of
'* the same month.

" Tliis slul) is placed by the officers of the battalion, to
" ciimmcmorutc their high esteem for him us u mun, and
" their respect for his character as a soldier."

2nd
Batt

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

203

wing at Bellary in May. Soon afterwards the battalion 1814
proceeded to Hyderabad, where it remained until the 2ud
beginning of November, when it received orders to
proceed to Ellichpoor, to join the field force under the
command of Brigadier-General Doveton, and was sub-
sequently employed against a barbarous people called
the Pindarees, who infested the British territory in
India at this period, and committed dreadful ravages
wherever they appeared. . i ^

The 3rd battalion was employed in the spring of 1814 3rd
in the blockade of the strong fortress of Bat/onne, in
France ; while a great part of the allied British, Spanish,
and Portuguese army, which had passed the Pyrenees
mountains, advanced up the country.

In the meantime the Dutch had made an energetic 4th
struggle to free themselves from the power of Napoleon,
and a strong party had declared in favour of the Prince
of Orange. A British force was sent to Holland under
the orders of Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Graham, after-
wards Lord Lynedoch, and the 4th battalion of the Royal
Scots was ordered from the north of Germany to join
the troops in Holland. The battalion accordingly com-
menced its march from Lubeck on the 17th January,
1814, and encountered many difficulties, from the in-
clemency of the weather. While traversing the forest
of Shricverdinghen, 120 men were lost in a snow storm ;
much extreme suffering occurred during the journey ;
and on the 2nd of March the men wont into cantonments
at Rozendalh. After halting six days the battalion was
ordored to join the force destined to make an attemj)t
on the strong fi)rtrcss of Bergm-op-Zoom; and was
selected to form part of tlie 4th column of attack ; at the
same time its flank companies were detached to join
another cohnnn. Tlie attack was made about ten o'clock

204

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1814 on the night of the 8th of March. The Royal Scots
4th succeeded in crossing the Zoom, and forced an entrance
by the water-port. Having gained possession of the
ramparts round the water-port gate, the battalion was
exposed to a heavy fire of grape and musketry from two
howitzers, and a strong detachment of French marines,
stationed near the arsenal : two companies were de-
tached to keep the enemy in check, and were relieved
every two hours by two other companies of the battalion.
These companies were actively engaged in this service
from eleven o'clock until daylight; when the "emy
made a fririous attack in strong columns, which bore
down all be ore them. The two detached companies of \
the Royal Scots were attacked by a host of combatants,
and driven in. A heavy fire of grape was opened upon
the battalion from the guns of the arsenal ; and it was
forced to retire by the water-port gate, when a detached
battery aper^d upon it. Being thus placed between two
fires, with a high palisade on one side, and the Zoom
filled with the tide on the other, the battalion was un-
fortunately obliged to surrender. The colours were first
sunk in the river Zoom by Lieutenant and Adjutant
Galbraith : the battalion then surrendered, on condition
that the officers and men should not serve against the
French until exchanged. The failure of the coup-de-
main on Bergcn-op-Zoom occasioned an immense sa-
crifice of gallant men. Of the Roval Scots, Captains
M'Nicol, Edward Wctherall, and Purvis, Lieutenant
Mills, 1 Serjeant, and 36 rank and file, were killed ; Lieu-
tenants Robertson, Stoytc, Midgley, and Stewart, 7
Serjeants, 1 drummer, and 63 rank and file, wounded.

On the following day the battalion marched out of
Bergen-op-Zooni, and on the 8th of April it embarked
for England: on the 21 st it arrived at llilsea barracks,

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

205

Batt.

Srd
Batt.

where it was supplied with clothing and equipments, and 1814
on the 6th of May it embarked on board the Diomede 4th
and Leopard (two sixty-fours, armed en-flute), and
sailed for Canada.

Meanwhile the success of the arms of the allied sove-
reigns in various parts of Europe had been followed by
the abdication of Bonaparte, and the restoration of the
Bourbon dynasty to the throne of France. This event
occurred in April, 1814, at which time the Srd battalion
of the RovAL Scots was employed in the blockade of
Bayonne. The French commandant in this fortress, not
believing the statement of Bonaparte's abdication to be
true, made a sortie with the garrison on the morning of
the 14th of April, and gained a temporary advantage ;
but -Wo -^terwards repulsed. Major-General Hay,*
Lieut ' !p1 of the Royal Scots, was killed at the
first onset ; the battalion also had 5 rank and file killed ;

* This valuable and gallant officer had served many years in the
Royal Regiment, in which he had a son, Captain George Ilay, killed
at the battle of Vittoria.

A monument was erected to his memory in the cemetery of the
church of Etienne, Bayonne, with the following inscription : —
This tomb is placed here
By the officers of the 3rd battalion, Ist, or Royal Scots
Regiment of Foot,
As a testimony of respect to the memory of
The late
Major-Genebal Andrew Hay,
Commanding the First Brigade of the Fifth Division of the British

Army in France,
Who gallantly fell on the morning of the 14th of
April, 1814.
In defence of the ground in which
His body is deposited,
Aged 52 years.
Near the north door of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, a mo-
nument has also been erected to the memory of this gallant
veteran. He is represented falling into tlie arms of Valour, with
a soldier standing, lamenting the lost of his commander.

206

THE FIRST, OR ROT L

Batt.

1814 Captain Buckley, Lieutenant Macdonnell, 1 serjeant, 1
3rd drummer, and 32 ranli and file, wounded ; also a few

private nren missing.

This ^3 the last action of the war ; and the British
troops, after vanquishing the legions of Bonaparte in
various parts of the glohe, stood triumphant in the
interior of France, and saw the fall of that gigantic
power which had shaken the throne of every sovereign
on the continent of Europe, and, aiming at universal
empire, had sought to rule i'le world with Asiatic des-
potism. The Royal Scots remained encamped near
Bayonne until August, when they marched back to
Spain, and were the last British corps which quitted the
French territory after the termination of this glorious
war. The battalion, having embarked at Passages for
Ireland, landed at the Cove of Cork on the 13th of
September, 1814.

His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased
to confer upon the 3rd battalion the honoui of bearing
the word " Peninsula " upon its colours, as a mark of
his royal approbation of its meritorious conduct in Por-
tugal and Spain.

The right wing of the 4th battalion, which sailed for
Canada in May, arrived at Quebec on the 26th of June,
and on the 1st of July sailed up the St. Lawrence to
Three Rivers ; but the left wing, in the Leopard, was
wrecked on Anticosti, a barren island in the mouth of
the river St. Lawrence, and lost all it- arms and bag-
gage. The right wing afterwards returned to Quebec,
and, the left having joined it, the battalion formed part
of that garrison until May of the following year.

1815 Li January, 1815, the first battalion quitted Fort
1st Niagara, and proceeded to Qucenstown. From this place

it proceeded to Fort George, Kingston, Prescott, Mont-

4th
Batt.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

207

1st
BaU.

4th
Batt.

1st

and

4th

Batts.

3rd
Batt

real, and Three Rivers, which latter place it reached on 1815
the 25th of May, when it embarked for Quebec ; and
on its arrival off Cape Diamond, peace having been con-
cluded with the United States, it was removed on board
of transports. At the same time the 4th battalion was
withdrawn from garrison at Quebec, and, having em-
barked on board the fleet, both battalions sailed for
England, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 17th and
18th of July.

In the meantime Napoleon Bonaparte, with that per-
fidy which had ever marked his conduct, had quitted the
island of Elba, and, attended by 600 men, made his ap-
pearance on the shores of France. The French troops
joined the standard of the invader, t' e royal family fled,
and Bonaparte reascended the throne with a rapidity
which exceeded the wildest flights of poetry or romance.
The peace of Europe was thus broken. The allied
sovereigns resolved to wage war against the usurper ;
and in April, 1815, the 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots
was suddenly ordered from its quarters at Fermoy to
the Cove of Cork, to embark for the Netherlands, where
a British force was assembling to engage in the approach-
ing contest, under Field-Marshal the Duke of Welling-
ton — a leader under whose eye this portion of the Royal
Regiment had already acquired numerous laurels in the
Peninsular War.

The battalion landed at Ostend in the early part of
May, and proceeded to Ghent, and from thence to Brus-
sels, where it was stationed several weeks. It formed
part of the 9th brigade, commanded by Major-General
Sir Denis Pack, and was placed in the 5th division,
under the command of Lieut.-General Sir Thomas
Picton.

During the night between the 15th and 16th of June,

208

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1815 while the Royal Scots were reposing in comfortable
3rd quarters at Brussels, the men were suddenly aroused by
the bugles sounding and drums beating to arms. In-
stantly quitting their beds, the soldiers prepared for
action, and, seizing their muskets, issued in bands from
every part of the city ; and in a few hours the British
regiments were passing through the dark forest of
Soignes in the direction of Charleroi, a sharp conflict
having already commenced between the corps in advance
and the enemy. After a march of about twenty-two
miles, the 5th division arrived at the scene of conflict
soon after mid-day on the 16tli of June, and, diverging
from the high road, confronted the enemy on the undu-
lating grounds near the farm-house of Quatre Bras. '
The Royal Scots, advancing from their post in the
centre of the 5th division, by a movement to their left
through a field of corn which reached to the shoulders
of the tallest men, encountered a column of French
infantry", and by a determined charge drove it from its
ground. The enemy's musketeers rallied under the
protection of their formidable cavalry, and opened a
galling fire, which was returned by the Royal Scots
with steadiness and precision. The enemy, having the
advantage of a rising ground, poured down volley after
volley of grape and musketry with dreadful execution.
The Royal Scots stood their ground with unflinching
firmness ; and, after fighting for some time in line, the
battalion formed square, to resist the French cavalry,
which was advancing in great force. The valour and
intrinsic merit of the corps were now tested ; but in vain
the foaming squadrons of cuirassiers came rushing for-
ward — in vain the daring swordsmen sought to penetrate
the square ; neither the superiority of their numbers, nor
the fury of their charge, availed against the Royal

REGIMENT Ol- FOOT.

209

Batt.

Scots; the battalion stood firm, and resisted every 1815
attack of the enemy with an unshaken fortitude, which 3rd
reflected honour on the corps.* After repulsing the
formidable onsets of the enemy's steel-clad horsemen, the
battalion deployed ; ' again the French cuirassiers and
lancers advanced, and the ba.;talion once more formed
square. The daring squadrons rushed forward in full
career; the battalion sent forward a shower of balls,
which emptied a hundred saddles, and the remaining
horsemen wheeled round, and galloped away.t Thus
the Royal Scots were triumphant, and they were soon
afterwards moved to sustain the 28th regiment, which
had suffered severely : another furious onset was made
by the French cavalry, when the two corps formed one
square, and repulsed ♦heir assailants with firmness. The
French, dismayed by the sanguinary resistance of their
adversaries, and being attacked in turn, were already
giving way. Sir Thomas Picton placed himself at the
head of the Royal Scots and 28th regiment, and lead-
ing them to the charge, the enemy was driven from his
position with loss.

The battalion passed the following "night on the field.
The Prussians had been attacked on the 16th of June at

* " The 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots distinguished it-
" self in a particular manner. Being removed from the centre
" of the 5th division, it charged and routed a column of the
" enemy. It was then formed in a square, to receive the cavalry,
*' and though repeated attacks were made, not the slightest im-
" pression was produced. Wherever the lancers and cuirassiers
" presented themselves, they found a stern and undismayed front,
" which they vainly endcavoiireu to penetrate." — Mudford's
Historical Account of the Campaign in the Netherlatids in 1815.

f " Though charged six or seven times by an infinite superiority
" of numbers, the French cavalry never for an instant made the
" slightest impression upon the square of the Royal Scots." —
Narrative by an Officer who was an eye-witness.

210

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1815 Ligny, and forced to retreat to Wavre ; a corresponding
3rd movement was made by the Duke of Wellington, to
keep up the communication with the Prussians, and the
Royal Scots, retreated on the 17th of June, with the
remainder of the army, to the elevated gi'ounds in front
of the village of Waterloo^ where the troops passed a
stormy night in the open fields, drenched with rain

On the memorable 18th of June the battalion formed
part of the reserve under the gallant Sir Thomas Picton.
At the commencement of the battle, when the enemy
sent forward a cloud of skirmishers, and developed his
massy columns of attack, the Royal Scots, commanded
by Major Colin Campbell, were instantly engaged with
the legions of Napoleon. " I have great pleasure," ob-
serves an officer, who was an eye-witness, " in detailing
" the conduct of the gallant 3rd battalion of the Royal
" Scots, and though I have been present with the
" battalion at the battles of Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor,
" Salamanca, Vittoria, both stormings of St. Sebastian,
" the passage of the Bidassoa, &c., &c., in all which they
" bore a most conspicuous part, and suffered severely, I
" can assure you they never evinced more steadiness, or
" more determined bravery, than at the late battle.

" About nine o'clock on the morning of the 18th
" June, the battalion was attacked by the enemy, and,
" with very little interruption, the entire day it formed
" a line of skirmishers in front of the brigade.

" I have often seen the battalion engaged, but, I must
" confess, on this trying day, it far excelled anything T
" had ever witnessed ; and indeed, so pleased was the
" late General Picton with its gallantry and good con-
" duct, that he several times expressed it himself to the
" battalion in the most flattering terms."

Thus, while the thunder of 400 cannon, the roll of

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

211

mg
, to

the

the
[rent
sd a

rmed

LCtOU.

nemy
id his
inded
L with
," oh-
tailing

lOYAL

th the
L'Onor,
)astian,
ch they
erely, I
aess, or

18th
and,
formed

I must
^thing 1
was the

od con-
If to the

roll of

musketry, the occasional explosion of caissons, the 1815
hissing of balls and grape-shot, the clashing of arms, and the 3rd
impetuous shouts of the combatants, produced an awful
scene of carnage and confusion, the Royal Scots were
seen amidst the storm of battle, boldly confronting the
torrent of suj^erior numbers, and fighting with a con-
stancy and valoar which the enemy could not overcome.
Corps after corps advanced ; but amidst the dense smoke
which often prevented the combatants from distinguishing
each other, the British colours waved triumphant, and
the shout of victory rose above the din of combat.
Paralyzed by the astonishing resistance of the British
arms, the attacks of the enemy relaxed ; the Prussians
arrived on the left, to co-operate, the Anglo-Belgian army
formed line, and with one impetuous charge overthrew
the French host, and drove it in wild confusion from the
field of battle, with the loss of its cannon and equipages.
Those warlike and numerous legions, which a few hours
before meditated only rapine and conquest, were mingled
in utter confusion along the road, and over the fields,
while the allied squadrons poured on their shattered
flanks and rear, and sabred the panic-struck fugitives
without mercy or intermission. Thus ended a battle,
the greatest of past or present times, the importance and
character of which are above the reach of sophistry or
mis-statement ; a battle, which may in itself be considered
an era, and the story of it, serving as a monument to
commemorate the national glory, will survive when the
brightest historical epochs on record shall be lost amid
the obscurity and confusion of ages. In the important
conflicts on the 16th and 18th of June, the Royal Scots
had Captain Buckley, Lieutenants Armstrong, O'Niel,
and Young, Ensigns Kennedy, Robertson, and Ander-
son, 1 serjeant-major, 4 Serjeants, and 29 rank and file,

212

THE FIRST, OK ROYAL

1815 killed; Major Campbell; Brevet-Majors Arguimbeau,
■Jrd M'Donald, Massey, and Dudgeon ; Lieutenants Rea,
Ingram, Simms, Clark, Mann, G. Stewart, Alstone,
Dobbs, Morrison, Miller, Lane, Black, Scott, and Ad-
jutant Cameron ; Ensigns Cooper, Stephens, and
M'Kay ; Quarter-Master Griffith ; Volunteer Blacklin ;
20 Serjeants, and 275 rank and file, wounded.

The battalion advanced with the main army into

France, 'and encamped on the 6th of July at Clichy, on

the banks of the Seine, two miles from Paris, where it

remained nearly four months.

1st In the meantime the 1st and 4th battalions had

4th arrived at Portsmouth from Canada (as before stated),

****' and the 4th having been completed to 1000 effective

rank and file, by the transfer of men from the 1 st, sailed

for the Netherlands, to join the allied army under the

Duke of Wellington ; at the same time the remainder of

the 1st battalion sailed for Scotland, and was stationed

in Edinburgh Castle.

The 4th battalion having landed at Ostend, marched
up the country to Paris, and pitched its tents at Clichy,
where the 3rd battalion was also encamped.

After the flight of Bonaparte, and the restoration of
Louis XVIII. to the throne of France, rewards were
conferred on the officers who had distinguished them-
selves during the war ;* and the honour of bearing the

4 th
Batt.

Srd
Batt.

* " Whitehall, 13th December, 1813.
'• Ilrs Royal Highness the Pbince Regent, taking into
" His Royal Highness's consiHcration the highly distinsruished
** services of Colonel James Stevenson Barns, Lieut.-Colonel
" of the 1st, or Royal Scots Regiment of Foot, Companion of
" the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, and Knight
" of the Royal Portuguese Order of tiie Tower and Sword, ma-
" infested by him on divers important occasions in the campaigns
" of Toulon, Corsica, Holland, Egypt, and during the recent

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

213

word " Waterloo " on its colours, was conferred on the 1815
3rd battalion of the Royal Scots ; every officer and 3rd
man present at the battles on the 16th and 18th of June,
1815, also received a silver medal, to be worn on the left
breast, attached by a crimson and blue riband, and the
soldiers had the privilege of reckoning two years' service
towards additional pay and pension on discharge.

The 3rd battalion quitted the camp at Clichy on the

ti
(<

i(
it
<(
((
((
<(
((
((
«

((

(('
((
It
t(
i(

arduous operations and splendid achievements of His Majesty's
arms in Portugal, Spain, and France, and being desirous of
conferring upon that officer such a mark of favour as may in
an especial manner evince the sense his Royal Highness enter-
tains of the intrepidity and \.ilour displayed by him at the
battle of Busaco, wherein, as Lieut. -(Colonel of the Staff, he
commanded a brigade ; at the capture of Badajoz, on the
6th of April, 1812; at the victory of Salamanca, where,
in leading his battalion to the charge, he was severely wounded ;
and his distinguished gallantry at the assault and capture of
St. Sebastian, and the battles of the Nive, hath been pleased,
in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, to grant unto the
said Colonel Barns, His Majesty's Royal license and authority
that he and his descendants may bear the following honour-
able augmentation to the arms of his family : —
" A chief, thereon the representation of the curtain of a for-
tiRcation ; and above the words ' St. Sebastian,' as also a canton
charged, with the representations of the gold cross presented by
His Majesty's command to the said James Stevenson Barns,
and of the badge of the Royal Portuguese Military Order of the
Tower and Sword pendant from the ribands from which the
said distinctions are respectively attached.
" And the following crest of honourable augmentation i —
*' Issuant from a broken battlement, a dexter arm in armour,

the hand grasping a banner inscribed
sion to the conspicuous conduct of

St, Sebastian ; ' in allu-

the said Colonel Bams,
on the 3 1st of August, 1813, when he gallantly led the
3rd battalion of the Royals, and assaulted and carried the
curtain of the fortress, thereby eminently contributing to the
ultimate capture of that important place ; provided the said
armorial distinctions be first duly exemplified, according to our
law of arms, and recorded in the Herald's Office ; otherwise II is
Majesty's royal license and permission to be void, and of none
effect."

214

THE PIR8T, OR ROYAL

1815 29th of October to go into cantonments for the winter:
3rd it occupied successively Maule, Montmorency, and Gil-

■ lecourt, and their adjacents.

4th During the winter the 4th battalion was ordered to
return to England,* where it arrived in the early part of

1816 1816. From the period of its formation the 4th batta-
lion was considered as a depot to the other battalions of the
regiment, until it embarked for Germany, in 1813. All
recruits enlisted for the regiment, volunteers from the
militia, and sick and wounded men sent home from
foreign service with any prospect of being again fit for
military duty, joined the 4th battalion ; and the recruits
were completely drilled before they were sent to join the
other battalions, f Peace having been restored, the bat-
talion was disbanded at Dover on the 24th of March,
1816.

1st In February of the same year the 1st battalion

■ marched from Edinburgh Castle to Port Patrick, where it
embarked for Ireland, and remained in that country
nearly ten years.

The 3rd battalion, forming part of the army of
occupation in France, marched from Gillecourt in

3rd
Batt.

* •' Port Chatlerain, 29th November, 1815.
" Brigade Order.

•' The 4th battalion of the Royals, the 42nd and 92nd regi-
ments, are to march to-morrow morning for Meulans, on their
route for Boulogne, to embark for England.
" Major-General Sir Denis Pack, cannot allow these corps to
depart from his command without expressing his regret at
losing them.

" The conduct of the 4th battalion, Royals, in camp and quar-
ters has been, like that of the 3rd battalion and the two regi-
ments, orderly and soldier-like; and he is confident, from the
high state of discipline these corps appear in, they would have
emulated their comrades in the 3rd battalion, had the same
glorious opportunity been afforded them."
t The following return shows the number of men

Kb:OIM£NT OF FOOT.

215

Batt.

January, 1816, and went into garrison at Valenciennes. 1817
It quitted this place in March, 1817, and proceeded to 3rd
Calais, where it embarked for England, and landed at
Dover on the 24th of tho same month. It shortly after-
wards marched to Canterbury barracks, where it was
disbanded on the 24th of April, 1817.

The regiment was thus reduced to its former establish-
ment of TWO BATTALIONS ; and the men of the 3rd
battalion having been transferred to the 1st aivl 2nd ^*"^
battalions, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was
pleased to grant permission to the 1st and 2nd battalions
to bear the words "Busaco," "Salamanca," "Vit-
TORiA,""ST.SEBASTiAN,""NiVE," "Peninsula," and
"Waterloo," on their colours, in commemoration of
the distinguished services' of the 3rd battalion of the
regiment, as before narrated.

1st
and
2nd

drafted from the 4th to the other battalions on foreign ser-
vice : —

Date of transfer .

'o what
ttalion.

Year. | Month.

1807

April

2nd

fi8

154

1808

February

1st

»>

198

206

June

8rd

124

vjf*

186

6th November

2nd

122

24th December

3rd

146

150

25th „

2nd

»»

t«

1809

19tli January

3rd

385

437

26th „

3rd

»i

25th May

3rd

ff»

450

451

3rd December

1st

»l

120

122

1811

March

3rd

200

208

1812

November

1st

300

310

2nd

200

204

3rd
Total

2
51

>»

250

>»

254

2633

232

2985

216

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt

1817 In the meantime the 2nd battalion had continued
2nd actively employed in the East Indies against the Pin-
darees, and these barbarous hordes being composed
entirely of horsemen, the services of the corps were of an
arduous and trying nature ; traversing extensive districts
by forced marches, passing rivers and thickets, and
attempting to surprise these bands of plunderers, were
duties calculated to exhaust the physical powers of Euro-
peans when performed under an Indian sun.

AVhile the Royal Scots were engaged in these
services, several of the native princes prepared to wage
war against the British. Their designs were partly
discovered and disconcerted by the Marquis of Hastings.
Hostilities, however, followed, and the battalion was
called upon to engage in the contest. The eight bat-
talion companies formed part of the second division
under the command of Brigadier-General Doveton ; and
the flank companies were destined to form part of the
Ist division of the army of the Deccan, under Lieut.-
General Sir Thomas Hislop, Baronet.

The battalion was stationed at Jaulnah ; from whence
the flank companies marched on the 11th of October,
1817, under the command of Captain Ilulme, with two
regiments of native cavalry, and four guns, to join the
head-quarters of the 1st division, and arrived at Hurda
on the 22nd. Tlie battalion companies quitted Jaulnah
on the 15th of October, under the coinmand of Brevet
Lieut.-Colonel Eraser, (Lieut.-Colonels N. M'Leod,*and
Neil N'Kcllar having tlie command of brigades,) and
arrived, with the remainder of the 2nd division, its

* This otKciT \vu8 promoU'd Jo tlic ruiik of Major-Gcnerul in
18.30, uml/wuh drowned in the ' Frolic' steam-boat, l>ctwcpn Ton by
and Bristol, in March, 18;j|, with his wit't', Lady Arubella M'Leod.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

217

Bdtt.

train of elephants, camels, and horses, at Meiker, on the 1817
23rd. From this place the Royal Scots were detached, 2nd
with the battering train, down the Berar Ghats, with the
design of taking part in the reduction of Asseerghur, an
important fortress, belonging to a native sovereign named
Scindia; but the order was suddenly countermanded,
and the division was directed to proceed to Nagpore, the
capital of the Mahratta territories, an attack having been
made on the British force at that pla. e. The division
proceeded for this station without delay ; and the Royal
Scots, following by forced marches, rejoined the head-
quarters on the 7th of November, at Oomrouttee.
From this place Brigadier-General Doveton pushed
forward with the Royal Scots, and part of his division,
and having encountered excessive fatigue, by constant
marching, arrived on the 12th in the vicinity of Nagpore,
where he was joined by the remainder of the division on
the following day. In the meantime the British troops
at this place had taken post on two strong eminences
near the residency, on which attacks had been made by
the Rajah's forces, and one of the eminences had been
carried by a great superiority of numbers ; but the other,
though attacked, had been maintained.

On the arrival of Brigadier-General Doveton's divi-
sion, the Rajah was inclined to come to terms, and he
at length agreed to surrender his guns and disperse his
troops ; but the treachery he had already evinced in-
duced the Brigadier-General to dispose his troops in
order of battle when he advanced to take possession of
the guns. The troops were accordingly formed in the
following order : — Two regiments of native cavalry and
six horse artillery six-pounders on the height ; on its left
Lieut. -Colonel M'Leod's brigade, composed of a wing
of the Royal Scots, hwv regiments of native infantry,

218

THE FIRST, OK ttOYAL

1817 and the flank companies of another native regiment ;

2nd Lieut.- Colonel M'Kellar's brigade, consisting of a divi-
sion of the Royal Scots, a regiment of native infantry,
and a detachment of horse artillery with four guns ; on
its left was Lieut.-Colonel Scot's brigade, of a division
of the Royal Scots, a regiment of native infantry, and
a detachment of foot artillery with sappers and miners,
and two guns ; a reserve of native infantry supported
the line, and the principal battery of the artillery was
posted in the rear of Lieut.-Colonel M'Leod's brigade.
On the left of the position was an enclosed garden ;
beyond it the Nagah Nuddee ; a small river ran from
thence past the enemy's right ; and three parallel
ravines, terminating in the bed of the river, crossed the
space between the infantry and the enemy ; but in front
of the cavalry, and on their right, the country was open.
The enemy's position was masked by irregularities of
the ground and clusters of houses and huts, and a thick
plantation of trees, with ravines, and a ■• jj;»' reservoir.
On this ground the Rajah had formed an aiii yof 21,000
men, of which 14,000 were horse, with seventy-five guns.
Such was the ground on which the battle of Nagpore
was fought. Beyond the river lay the city, from the
walls of which the movements of both armies could be
perceived.

The Rajah had agreed, after much procrastination,
to surrenui 1- his guns at noon on the 16th of December ;
and the British force was put in motion to receive them.
Tlie first battery was taken possession of without oppo-
sition ; but on the troops entering the plantation, the
enemy treacherously opened a sharp fire of musketry
on them. The action then commenced. The colunms
deployed. The brigades under Liout.-( -i)lonel8 M'Leod
and M'Kellar carried the enemy's right battery with

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

219

great gallantry, and afterwards drove the right wing 1817
from its ground. The other batteries were also carried, 2nd
and the supporting troops routed, and the enemy was
driven from all his positions, and pursued a distance of
five miles. The enemy's camp equipage, 40 elephants,
and 75 guns were captured; and the Royal Scots
added to their former honours that of standing triumph-
ant in the interior of India, over an immense superiority
of numbers of the enemy. The battalion lost on this
occasion 9 rank and file killed, and 26 wounded.

After this success the siege of the city of Naypore
was commenced. The troops which defended this place,
consisting of about 5000 Arabs and Hindoostanees, in-
sisted upon extraordinary terms ; and these not being
granted, they resolved on a desperate defence. On the
23rd of December a breach was made at the Jumma
Durwazza gate, and an assault on the place was resolved
on. One company of the Royal Scots, under the com-
mand of Lieutenant Bell, with five of native infantry
and a proportion of sappers and miners, were allotted
for this service ; and two other companies of the Royal
Scots, under the command of Captain H. C. Cowell,
were destined to attack the city at another gate ; and the
remaining five companies were kept for the protection of
the batteries.

At half-past eight o'clock on the morning of the 24th
of December the signal was given, when the storming
party, rushing from the trenches, gained the breach, but
were instantly assailed by a heavy tire of matchlocks from
the adjoining buildings ; at the same time the British
troops were unable to injure their numerous antagonists,
either by the tire c f musketry or coming to close quarters.
The Arabs, thus sheltered behind walls, each marked
with fatal aim, and with impunity, his destined victim ;

220

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1817 and their fire under these circumstances is destructive
2n<l at distances beyond that where European musketry is
considered effective. Lieutenant Bell, of the Royal
Scots, a most promising officer, who had served with
the 3rd battaliori luring a great part of the war in Spain,
was killed while ^-allantly leading his men to the attack ;
and the breach being found untenable, the troops were
ordered to withdraw. The other storming parties suc-
ceeded in gaining the desired points ; yet their positions
were also untenable, and they were ordered to retire.

On the following day the Arabs renewed their offer
to surrender ; and their terms being aoceded to, they
marched out of the city on the 1st of January, 1813,
and were allowed to go where they pleased, with the
exception of proceeding to Asseerghur, The loss of the
IlovAL Scots in the attack on Nagporc was 1 lieutenant
(Bell) and 10 rank and file killed, with 2 Serjeants and
49 rank and file wounded.

Brigadier-General Doveton, in his despatch to the
Commander-in-Chief in India, stated — " During the
" operation in the field of the 2nd division of the army
" of the Deccan under my command, the conduct of the
" 2nd battalion of Ilis Majesty'is Royal Scots, under the
" immediate command of Lieut. -Colonel Fraser, has been
" invariably such as to entitle that valuable corps to my
" highest approbation and applause ; and more particu-
" larly in the action with the enemy's army at this place
" on the IGth ultimo, their gallantry, steadiness, and good
" conduct were most exemplary."

Thus, whether Europe, Asia, Africa, or America be
the scene of conflict, the conduct of the Royal Scots
appears to have been uniformly the same ; and the gal-
lantry displayed by the 2nd battalion on this occasion
was rewarded by the royal permission, dated the 21Hh

4:-i

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

221

2nd
Batt.

of March, 1823, to bear the word " Nagpore" on its 1817
colours.

In the meantime the two flank companies, com
manded by Captain Hulme, had been engaged in several
movements with the 1st division of the army of the Dec-
can, and passed the Nerbuddah in flat-bottomed boats on
the 30th of November. On the 8th of December the
division arrived at Peepleea, and after four marches en-
camped in the vicinity of Oojain, a short distance from
Maheidpoor, where the army of Mulhar Rao Holkur,
one of the coalesced Mahratta powers against the British
interests in India, was assembled. After various frui -
less negociations, the division advanced against the
enemy on the morning of the 22nd of December ; and
as the troops were crossing the ford of the Seeprah river
they were exposed to a powerful and concentrated can-
nonade. About half a mile beyond the river stood the
army of Holkur ; and after passing the stream Brigadier-
General Sir John Malcolm advanced with two brigades
of infantry to attack the enemy's loft and a ruined vil-
lage situated on an eminence near the centre. The com-
panies of ^'le Royal Scots formed part of this force ;
and in the action which followed they evinced their native
valour in a signal way. The enemy's left was brought
forward in anticipation of the attack, and a destructivo
fire of grape "^ot was cpened on the British ; yet, encou-
raged by the example of Sir John Malcolm and Lieat.-
Colonel M'Gregor Murray,* the Royal Scots rus'ied
forward in the face of this tremcr:^ us fire ; the enemy's
infantry were driven from their position, and tlii> village
ard batteries were carried at the point of the bayonet ;

• This officer was Deputy Adjutnnt-General to the Kings
froof», and he placed hiinseif with the flunk compatrn's of the
Royul Scots on the right, and eiiconrajred the men hy his exaniphv

'222

THE FIRST, OK ROYAI.

ISl? the enemy's artillerymen were resolute, and stood their
2n(i ground until they vicre bayoneted. While the Boyai:
■ Scots were victorioi* » at their point of attack, tin erttny's
right was overpowered ; his centre gave way on the ap-
pearance of a brigade ascending from the river ; and his
troops, occupying a p )'==ition wbej*? his ccvm^ sto >\ also
fled on the advance of ", British force to attack them.
Thus the army of IMulhar Rao Ilolkur was routed ; and
in a general order, datei? the 23rc! oi December, the
Commnnder-in- Chief of the army of the Deccan ub-
servr i -" The undaunted heroism displayed by the
" flank i'om].,inies of the Royal Scots in storming and
" carry Jnj^, .it the point of the bayonet, the enemy's guns
" on tht; right ai Lieut -Colonel Scot's brigade, was
" worthy of the high name and reputation of that regi-
" ment. Lieutenant M'Leod fell gloriously in the charge,
" and the conduct of Captain Hulme, Captain M'Gregor,
" and of every officer and man belonging to it entitles
" them to his Excellency's most favourable report and
" warmest commendation."

The loss of the Royal Scots on this occasion was
Lieutenant Donald M'Leod, 1 Serjeant, and 7 rank and
file, killed ; Lieutenants John M'Gregor and Charles
Campbell, 4 Serjeants, 1 drummer, and 27 rank and
file, wounded. In commemoration of the valour evinced
by these two companies the battalion obtained the
royal permission to bear the word " Maheidpoor" on
its colours. v

Arrangements having been made for the pursuit of
Ilolkur, the tro )ps advanced on the 28th of kjpi^eniber,
and on the 30th for'no^l a junction with 'a^t oi the
Bombay prny, under the command o^ Maj -General
Sir Willinvi Keir Grant, at Taul. .'i.«i; \ncing from
thence on the following day. the troops ^n '^ I in the

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

223

Batt.

beginning of January, 1818, at Mundesoor, and soon 1818
afterwards, Holkur's government having been brought _2nd
to submission, the presence of the 1st division of the
army of the Deccan being no longer necessary in this
part of India, it marched southward. On the 22nd of
January it crossed the Seeprah river, on the 24th it
reached Oojain, where it halted until the 28th. On the
30th it was at Indoor ; on the 1 3th of February it re-
crossed the Nerbuddah, and proceeding in the direction
of the Taptee, encamped on the left bank of that river
on the 27th, in the vicinity of Talnere, a town and fortress
belonging to Holkur, formerly the capital of the
sultans of the Adil Shahy dynasty, in the fifteenth cen-
tury, which, it had been agreed, should be delivered up
to the British government, but which- unexpectedly,
opened a fire upon the advanced part of the division.
A summons was sent to the Killedar, who commanded
the garrison, warning him of the consequences of resist-
ance ; and, no answer being returned, a battery was
brought to bear on the fort, which silenced the enemy's
fire in a few hours, but not before several casualties had
occurred from the well-directed fire of matchlocks from
the walls. On a further examination of the fort, one of
the outer gates 'as discovered to be in a ruinous state ;
and the flank companies of the Royal Scots and of the
Madras European regiment, were placed under the
orders of Major Gordon, of the Royal Scots, for the
attack of the gate. The garrison offered to capitulate ;
ai?'^ an unconditional surrender was demanded without
delay ; but, tho evening being advanced, it was sus-
pects i ^the enemy would attempt to escape during the
approaching darkness, and the storming party advanced
up CO the gate. A passage for single files between the
walls and the frame of the outer gate was discovered,

'1^

224

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

• t

1818 and no opposition being oflPered, the storming party and
2"d pioneers entered: they subsequently passed the second
gate, and at the third M^ere met by the Killedar and
some natives. Lieut.-Colonel Conway, the Adjutant
General to the army, with Lieut.-Colonel M'Gregor
Murray, had entered with the storming party, and they
passed through the third and fourth gates ; but at the
fifth and last gate they were stopped, though the wicket
was opened. A hurried conversation about terms of
surrender now took place ; and Colonel Murray, con-
cluding that there was an urgent necessity for esta-
blishing such a footing as would secure eventual success
should the enemy hold /.i-,. tigered by the wicket with
Major Gordon and -din...' giiivdiers of the Royal
Scots, but refrained froai Orr*'^; g his sword, to show he
had no intention of breaking off the parley. Five per-
sons only \ 1(1 passed the wicket when the enemy fell
upon them, and in a moment laid them all dead, ex-
cepting (Colonel Murray, who fell towards the wicket
covered with wounds. The enemy attempted to close
the wicket, but were prevented by a grenadier, private
Sweeny, of the Royal Scots, who thrust his musket
into the aperture : Tiieut. -Colonel M'Intosh and Captain
M'Craith fornv] the wicket open, and it was held in this
state while the captain was with one hand dragging
Colonel Murray through, and with the other warding oft'
blows with his sword. A fire was then poured in through
the wirket, which (beared the gateway riuffieiently for the
grenadiers of the Royal Scots, under Captain M'Gre-
gor, who formed the head of the st/jrming party, to enter,
and the fort was carried by assault, but at the expense of
the captain's life. The gnrrison v/aa put to the sword, and
the Killedar 'vos hanged on the same cvr ng. The
KoYAL Sc;ors h.-wl Major (Jordon, (Uijiitmi) P, . he-

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

225

gor, and 3 private men killed ; Lieutenant John M'Gre- 1818
gor (brother to the captain),* and 3 rank and file, 2nd
wounded. The conduct of the Royal Scots on this
occasion was spoken of, in general orders, in terms of
commendation; and the intrepidity and courage of
Major Gordon and Captain M'Gregor were especially
noticed.

In the meantime, the 2nd division of the army of the
Deccan, with which the eight battalion companies of the "t
Royal Scots were serving, had been withdrawn from
Nagpore, and proceeded (22nd January) towards El-
lichpoor. In the early part of February, detachments
from the division captured the two strong hill -forts of
Gawelghur and Narnullah. The division was after-
wards encamped at Ootran ; in March it proceeded to
Copergnum, and on the 17 th of that month encamped on
the left bank of that noble river the Godavery, near Fool-
taumba ; at the same time the 1st divig* Ji was encamped
on the opposite bank of the river. Here the 2nd division
resumed its former designation of the Iiy<5erabad division.
Two flank and three battalion comp-"nie8 of the Royal
Scots were directed to proceed to Ilyderabac'. ; and the
remaining five companies continued in the fielOl with the
force under Brigadier-General Doveton. These com-
panies were commanded by Lieut -Color ;1 Fraser, and
on his appointment to the command of a brigade, by
Captain Joseph Wetherall,t the next officer in seniority.

n-p-

• This officer received a severe wound wiaile protecting his
brotner 3 body.

+ Captain Wetherall afte. wards rose to the rank of Major
in the reg ix :<t, and he wrote ^^i. historical record of his corps,
which Wi-, ij/vipted in 1832, at tl-** expense of the ^"'olonel, the
Duke of Gordoc Although there arc some inaccuracies in the
work, particularly i»s regards the formation and early "orvices of

226

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1818 The division was engaged in operations against Peish-
^nd wah Bajee Rao (one o.* v<.e Mahratta confederacy), who,
with an army oi' cavalry said to amount to 20,000 men,
studiouslj/ avoided a conflict with the British field force,
and sought to accomplish his object by sudden marches
and SI .rprises. Information having been received of an
intended attack of this chief or. tlio citntonmrnts of Jaul-
nnh, the Hyderabad division, with which were three com-
T).nies of the Royal Scots, commanded by Captain
Vv etherall (the other two companies remaining at Fool-
iaumba), proceeded seventy-two miles in two forced
marches, and before the remaining thirty miles were
accomplished, the Peishwah had proceeded in another
direction. After a short halt, the division continued the
pursuit of the flying enemy, encountering many diflR-
culties while traversing parts of the country which had
n ^ofore witnessed the presence of a British army,
and using the most indefatigable exertions, it frequently
occurring that the troops occupied the ground which
Bajee Rao had left on the preceding day. After a cir-
cuitous route, having performed forty-one marches in forty
days, at the hottest period of the year, during which time
the division had only two halts, the troops returned for
supplies to Jaulnah, where they encamped on the 11th
of May. In this diflScult service the European soldiers
had not evinced any want oi physical power ; they had
performed their marches cheerfully, and their only com-

the regiment, yet the reconl "as ns correct as could be expected
from the limited informatio he *a8 in possession of; and he
evinced much laudable zeal ;;:iu industry in its compilation. He
followed the idea of Hamilton, who, in his printed sketch of the
RoYc Regiment, supposes it to have been a continuation of the
Scots Guards at the French Court ; but this has been proved to be
an error. Mv'c: 'Vetherall died, while serving with the 1st batta-
lion at Dominica, on the 7th August, 183U.

RKOIMENT OP FOOT,

227

plaint was not being able to overtake the flying enemy, igis
After a halt of two days, the division again resumed the 2nd
chase of its flying foe, and continued the pursuit until *•
the Peishwah surrendered himself to the British govern-
ment, when it returned to Jaulnah.

Meanwhile the two companies of the Royal Scots
left at Fooltaumba, under the command of Lieutenant
Bland, had marched with a body of troops, under Lieut.-
Colonel M'Dowall, of the East India Company's scr- ^
vice, into the Candeish country, and had captured the
fort of Unkye, situated on the summit of the Candeish
Ghats, also the forts of Rajdeir and Inderye, in which ser-
vice the two companies had a few private men wounded.
They were next engaged in the reduction of the strong
hill-fort of Trimbuck, situated near the source of the river
Godavery, which surrendered on the 25th of April ; their
loss on this occasion was 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and
8 private men, wounded. The conduct of the Royal
Scots in this service was spoken of in terms of commenda-
tion in detachment orders. The capture of Trimbuck
was followed by the surrender of seventeen other forts.

After this service the detachment proceeded to the
strong fort of Malleygaum, situated. on the river Moas-
sum, and defended by a party of the Arabs, who sur-
rendered to Brigadier-General Doveton at Nag;^ore.
This place was defended by two lines of works, with
very high walls, the inner one of superior masonry and
surrounded by a ditch 25 feet deep and 16 feet wide. On
the 18th of May a sortie of the garrison was repulsed ;
and on the 19th two batteries opened their fire. A
breach having been effected, an attempt was made to
carry the fort by storm : 2 officers and 50 rank and file
of the Royal Scots, commanded by Lieutenant Bland,

ci2

,,ih

228

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1818 formed part of the principal storming party against the
2nd hreach, and Lieutenant Orrock and 25 rank and file
* part of a column destined to make an attack on another
point; but success was found impracticable, and the
storming party was withdrawn. Another po.'.nt of attack
was afterwards selected, and new batteries raised. Two
of the enemy's magazines having been blown up, the gar-
rison surrendered, and the British flag was hoisted on
the walls of Malleygaum^ on the morning of the 13th of
June. The Royal Scots lost in this siege 5 rank and
, file killed ; Ensign Thomas, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and
11 rank and file, wounded.

The whole of the hill-forts in the Candeish being re J
duced, the two companies of the Royal Scots proceeded
to Jaulnah, and joined the other three companies of the
battalion, with the Hyderabad division at that place.
Here the troops expected to take up their monsoon
quarters ; but, when all who were obliged to live under
canvass were busily engaged in making arrangements to
mitigate the severity of the approaching rains, the divi-
sion was ordered to proceed with all possible expedition
to Nagpore. Quitting Jaulnah on the 7th of August,
the troops commenced the march, and the dreaded rains
immediately set in ; the roads became almost impass-
able; the baggage was unable to keep up with the
troops, and the tents were consequently in the rear, so
that the men were frequently exposed for twenty-four
hours to incessant rain ; no shelter could be procured in
the villages, and every comfort was wanting. Exposed
to these calamities, the troops arrived at Ellichpoor on
the 3rd of September in such a state as to be totally
unfit to proceed any further. Here they halted until the
21st of December, when they were again put in motion,

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

229

and halted at Walkeira on the 30th, where the five 1818
companies of the Royal Scots were, in consequence of and
their long service in the field, relieved by a division of ^"*
His Majesty's 30th regiment from Hyderabad. The
five companies then returned to Jaulnah, expecting to
continue their march to the Deccan, but were ordered to
proceed to Boorhaunpoor in charge of a battering train
which lay at Jaulnah. On the 1st of March, 1819, they 1819
rejoined the Hyderabad division, encamped near the city
of Boorhaunpoor, and marched to engage in the siege of
the celebrated fortress of Asseerghur, which, on account
of its strength, was termed " the Gibraltar of the East.''
This fortress is situated on a detached hill, not com-
manded by any other in its neighbourhood. It con-
sists of an upper and lower fort ; the upper "one, of an
irregular form, about 1 100 yards from east to west, and
about 600 from north to south ; it crowns the top of the
hill, which is about 750 feet in height ; and all round it,
with the exception of one place which is strongly fortified,
there is a perpendicular precipice from 80 to 120 feet,
surmounted with a low wall full of loop-holes. Below
this are two lines of works, the outer one forming the
lower fort, which rises directly above the pettah, and the
entrance to which is protected by strong gateways and
flanking works ; and immense labour and great skill had
been employed in rendering this naturally strong post
almost impregnable. Such was the formidable fortress
against which the five companies of the Royal Scots
were about to be employed.

The Hyderabad division was encamped at Neerabo-
lah, about seven miles from this celebrated fortress,
belonging to his Highness Doulat Rao Scindia, and,
negotiations having failed, about twelve o'clock on the
night of the 17th of March, five companies of the Royal

H I

230

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1819 Scots,* commanded by Captain J. Wetherall, with the
2nd flank companies of the 30th, 67th, and Madras Euro-
pean regiments, five companies of native infantry, and a
detachment of sappers and miners, the whole commanded
by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, and a
reserve, commanded by Major Dalryraple, of the 30th,
assembled at the camp for the attack of the pettah of
Asseer ; another party was also directed to co-operate in
this service from Sir J. Malcohu's division. t

Between one and two o'clock the column commenced
its march ; advancing up the bed of a deep nullah, or
small river, nearly dry at the time, the assaulting party
ariived unobserved within 500 yards of the pettali, then,
rushed upon the gate with the greatest ardour and stea-
diness, the five companies of the Royal Scots leading
the way. The enemy was surprised, and, after dis-
charging a few rounds of grape, retired w^ithout making
further opposition. The head of the attacking column
forced the gate, and, proceeding up the main street,
encountered an advanced piquet of the enemy, which
retired to the lower fort, firing occasionally at the head
of the column. Major Charles M'Leod, of the East
India Company's service. Deputy Quartermaster-Gene-
ral, acted as guide on the occasion, and by his direction
the leading files of the Royal Scots pursued the enemy
close under the walls of the fortress, from whence an
incessant fire of artillery and matchlocks was kept up,
and a few ill-directed rockets were also discharged. The

• It is only nn act of justice to state that such was the soldier-
like fooling and rsprit dr corps of tlie men, after they were made
aeqii.iintod with the duty that lay iK-forc them, that on their
falling in with their r.inipaniunH in the eanip at Neeniholah at
twelve o'clock on the night of the 17th of March, there was not
one individual amongst them in the least intoxicated, or unfit for duty.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

231

Batt.

leading sections of the Royal Scots, which had pursued 1819
the enemy up the hill, were joined by one or two files of 2nd
the 30th and 67th regiments, the whole amounting to
about 25 or 30 men ; and as soon as the enemy saw the
small force before which they had so precipitately fled,
they immediately rallied, and came shouting down the
hill with augmented numbers to attack this small party,
but were repulsed by a spirited charge with the bayonet,
which, with a few rounds of musketry, obliged them to
retreat within the works, some of which were within 50
or 60 yards of this handful of men, leaving their chief,
who was shot by a soldier of the Royal Scots, and
several men, on the ground. Major M'Leod, being
wounded, proceeded to the rear ; and the enemy having
established a cross fire from the walls of the lower fort
and fi'om two cavaliers, Captain Wetherall ordered the
advanced party to retire a short distance to a post esta-
blished by Lieut.-Colonel Eraser, where there was some
cover for the men. The loss of the leading sections
in this affair was 1 private soldier killed ; Ma,jor
M'Leod, Lieutenant Bland, and 11 rank and file,
wounded. The remainder of the column did not sus-
tain any loss, the men being protected from the enemy's
fire by the houses in which they had established them-
selves.*

* " The proiiiptitudo and oncrgy with which the attack was
" made by the troops under the communii of Lieut.-Colonel
•' Frascr, of His Majesty's Royal Scots, retiect high credit on
" him and on all the utticcrs and mcii employed. Our loss has
"been triHing; Lieutenant Bland, of the IIoyai. Scots, is
" wounded. We are now in complete possession of the pettah,
" and the superintending engineer is employed in erect-ng u
" niortur battery to bonil)ard the fort." — lirhjadier-GetwKil
Dovetotia Letter to Cnptain Stewart, Acthuj licsuknt at the
Court oJ'DouUU Rao Scindiu.

232

THl<; FIKST, OR ROYAL

1819 The assaulting party maintained its post until night,
2nd when it was relieved by fresh troops, and the five com-
panies of the Royal Scots returned to their tents,
which had been left standing at Neembolah; but
Lieut, -Colonel Fraser remained in command of the
troops at the pettah. At daybreak on the 19th a
heavy gun battery opened against the fort. At dusk
in the evening a party of the enemy issued from the
lower fort, crept unperceived down a deep ravine to the
rear of the pettah, and gained the main street, where
they encountered the British troops, and were repulsed
and forced to abandon their enterprise. Lieut.-Colonel
Fraser, of the Royal Scots, while in the act of gal-
lantly encouraging the soldiers, and directing them to
withhold their fire and give the enemy the bayonet,
was shot in the head and fell dead on the spot : his body
wa" afterwards conveyed to the camp at Neembolah
and interred with military honours.*

On the 21st of March the five companies of the
Royal Scots took their turn of duty in the pettah,
where they arrived a little before day-break. As soon
as it was light a h<>avy gun battery opened on the forts
with great effect, but it had only fired about a dozen
rounds when, from some accident which could not be
explained, the magazine in the rear of it, containing
130 bairels of gunpowder, exploded, killing a conductor

♦ " Yesterday evening a desperate and unexpected sally from
" the fortress was ruide upon an advanced post of our troops in
" the pettali ; and it is wiili extrenin =egret I have to add that
" LiKUT.-CoLONKL FiiASKR, of Ilis Majcsty's Royal Scots, who
" had been «piH)iiitod by me to command in the jjcttah, was killed
" when in the act of gallantly rallying the jmrty and keeping the
" advance in their j»osition. The enemy was, however, imme-
*• diatcly driven back, and ccmipelled to retire again into the
" fort." — Buyndier-General Doveton's Despatch.

BEOIMENT OP FOOT.

233

inime-

of ordnance, a native oflBcer, and 34 non-commissioned 1819
officers and rank and file, and wounding another native 2nd
officer and 65 non-commissioned officers and rank and
file. Such was the violence of the explosion that ahout
six inches of the top of a hayonet was blown nearly six
hundred yards from the battery. From this period
until the 29th new batteries of heavy guns and mortars
were erected, and, a breach having been effected in the
wall of the lower fort, the enemy abandoned it and
retired to the upper one : the lower fort was taken
possession of on the morning of the 30th by part of
Sir John Malcolm's division.

The Royal Scots, with the remainder of the Hyder-
abad division, had in the meantime removed from their
ground at Neembolah and occupied a position three
miles north-east of the fortress. During the progress of
constructing the new batteries on elevated and com-
manding situations, the dragging of ordnance into many
of them was performed by the European soldiers, who
literally M'orked like horses ; and during the whole of
the time they were annoyed by a constant fire of match-
locks from the walls of the upper fort, but whic. was too
distant to prevent the execution of this herculef n labour,
which was performed with that ardour 'and cheerfulness
" t characteristic of British soldiers, "hen necessity
demands any extraordinary exertions from them.

On the 31st of March part of the Bengal army, con-
sisting of 2,200 native trooj)8, wiih 22 j)iece8 c»f heavy
ordnance, c(»rMnanded by Briga'Uer-Gencral Watson,
joined the be£*'^ging force ; and these guns were soon
placed in battery, and opened on the fort. The storm
of_ war now raged round Assccrghur with awful fury ;
the shot and sheils from tlie numerous nHtish bntterles
fluw in showers, a dozen shells sometimes exploding

234

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1819 within the area of the upper fort at the same moment,
2nd and a breach was soon effected in the outer retaining
wall at the only assailable part of the fort ; at the same
time two batteries ,of 18 and 24-pounders were directed
against the inner wall. This unremitting fire was con-
tinued until the 6th of April, when the garrison, appre-
hendi'- r the consequences of having to sustain an attack
• ' uic works by storm, forced the Killedar to sue for
terms, namely, "liberty to preserve their arms and to
depart with their personal property." These conditions
being refused, hostilities recommenced ; the Killedar,
however, accepted the terms dered on the 8th, and
agreed on his part to surrender the fort on the morning
of the 9th, and the firing ceased ; but, as he said he
could not answer for the garrison, the control of which
he had lost, preparations were made for renewing ope-
rations in case of refusal. The garrison, however, sub-
mitted ; a British guard took possession of the gates
at the appointed hour ; and a union flag was sent, with
an escort of 100 Europeans and the like number of
native infantry, to the upper fort, and hoisted under a
royal salute from all the batteries. The garrison,
amounting to 1200 men, marched out at noon and
grounded their arms. Their loss was inconsiderable,
from having such good cover from the fire of the British
batteries, being only 43 killed, and 95 wounded ; and
this was ehuifly occasioned by the bursting of shells.
The loss of the besieging army was 1 1 European and 4
native officers, and 95 European and 213 native soldiers
killed and wounded, including the loss at the explosion
of the magazine on the 21st of March. Of this number
the Royal Scots iiad only 7 rank and file killed and
wounded in addition to the loss on the 18th of March.
The force employed against Asseerghur amounted to

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

235

about 20,000 men ; the ordnance of all calibre to 61 guns 1819
and 40 mortars and howitzers : the enemy had 119 guns 2nd
and mortars mounted on the works, and some of the guns
were of immense calibre— one a 384-pounder.*

In a general order, dated Madras, 28th April, 1819,
the conduct, of the five companies of the regiment was
spoken of in the following terms : —

"The conduct of the detachment of His Majesty's
"Royal Scots under the command of Captain We-
" therall, and of His Majesty's 30th Foot, under Major
" Dalrymple, during the siege of Asseer, has been most
" exemplary, and such as to reflect the most distin-
" guished credit on their several commanding officers,
" as well as on the whole of the officers and men
" composing those detachments."

After the capture of this fortress the services of the
five companies of the Royal Scots being no longer
required with the Hyderabad division, on the morning
of the 11th of April they commenced their march for the
Deccan, for the purpose of joining the head-quarters and
the other five companies, which had quitted Hyderabad
in December, 1818, and had proceeded to Wallajahbad,
forty -seven miles from Madras : and on the 24th of July
the several companies of the battalion were united at
that station.

The battalion remained at Wallajahbad until the 21st
of December, wlien it marched for Trichinopoly, where
it aTived on the 11th of January, 1820,

On the 23rd of January, 1820, the mach-lamonted 1820
event, the decease of His Royal Highness the Duke
of Kent, otcurred, which occasioned great grief to the
corp», His Royal Highness having altvays evinced a

* Lieut.-Culcitcl Ulttkcr's Muhrutta War.

236

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1820 constancy of attention to, and interest in, the welfare
Regi-and credit of the regiment, which endeared his name

■ in the grateful remembrance of the officers and men.

The Colonelcy of the regiment was conferred, on the
29th of January, on Lieut. -General George Marquis
Huntly, only surviving son of Alexander, fourth Duicp
of Gordon, from the 42nd Highlanders.

1821 In August of the following year His Majesty King
George IV. was pleased to approve of the regiment
resuming its designation of the " First, or the Royal,
Regiment of Foot," instead of the " First, or Royal
Scots, Regiment of Foot."

1824 The 2nd battalion remained stationary at Trichino-
2nd poly until June, 1824, when it marched to Madras,

"' where it halted until September. In the meantime
hostilities had commenced between the British and the
Burmese empire ; and in September the battalion
embarked from Madras and sailed for Calcutta, where
it arrived on the 10th of October. Towards the end of
the year it marched to Barrackpore for the purpose of
suppressing a mutiny amongst the Company's native
troops at that place ; and after the performance of this
painful duty it returned to Calcutta.

1825 In the middle of January, 1825, it received orders
to proceed to Rangoon, a city and principal port of the
Burmese empire, situated on the north bank of the river
Irawaddy, thirty miles from the sea, to reinforce the
troops under Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Camp-
bell,* employed against the Burmese army. It accord-
ingly embarked from Calcutta under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Armstrong,! on the 15th of that month ;

* Afterwards Lieut.-Gcncral Sir Archibald Campbell, Bt. G.C.B.,
Colonel of tlu; 62nd Regiment, who died at Edinburgh on the 6th
October, 1843.

t Now Major-Gcnural Sir Richard Arnidtrong.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

237

and on its arrival at Rangoon, the enemy having been 1825
driven from his position in its vicinity, the flank com- 2ud
panics advanced with the army upon Prorae, a city
situated about 150 miles up the river Irawaddy, while
the battalion companies formed part of the reserve.

The advance was commenced on the 12th of Feb-
ruary ; owing to the nature of the country and the want
of sufficient means for transporting the necessary mili-
tary stores, part of the force proceeded by land, and the
remainder in boats up the river Irawaddy. The flank
companies of the Royals, commanded by Captain
Tenison, formed the advance-guard of the land column,
which was commanded by Brigadier- General Sir A.
Campbell. Proceeding along a narrow and diflScult
path, tending obliquely toward the Irawaddy river, the
column marched through the provinces of Lyng and
Sarrawah ; and on its arrival at Mophi, between two
and three thousand Burmese, commanded by Maha
Silwab, quitted an old pegaun fort, where they had
evinced some determination to resist, and dispersed
into a close jungle in the rear. From Mophi the column
continued its progress, uninterrupted by the enemy,
and forded the river .Lyng at Thaboon on the Ist of
March. The Carian mhabitants of the country through
which the army marched viewed the expulsion of the
Burmese with much satisfaction, and assisted the troops
in making roads and in procuring supplies of rice and
buffaloes. On the 2nd of March the division arrived
at Sarrawah, on the Irav^ddy, where its junction with
the water column had bjen intended. This column
had destroyed several of the enemy's stockades, and
had continued its course up the river until it arrived
within sight of Donahew, where a series of formidable
stockades extending nearly a mile along the banks of

238

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1825 the Irawaddy, and protected by about 15,000 Burmese,
2iid presented a formidable opposition. Information was
* * received of a gallant but unsuccessful attack having been
made on this post by the water column ; and Sir Archi-
bald Campbell resolved to retrace his steps with the
land column, and conccii vate his force for the reduction
of this formidable position. He accordingly crossed the
Irawaddy at Sarrawah by means of canoes and rafts,
which, owing to the insuflBciency of the craft employed,
was not effected in less than five days. After halting
two days at Henzada, the column pursued its march
along the right bank of the river, and arrived before
Donabew on the 25th of March : on the 27th a com-
munication was opened with the water column, under
Brigadier-General Cotton, of the 47th regiment, and
both columns co-operated in the reduction of the place.
Batteries were constructed without delay, and during
the progress of these operations the enemy made several
spirited sorties: on one occasion seventeen elephants
were sent out, each carrying a complement of men,
supported by a body cf infantry ; but the result proved
the inutility of employing such means against British
troops. In the beginning of April the batteries opened
their fire, and shortly afterwards, the Burmese com-
mander, Maha Bandoola, having been killed by the
bursting of a shell, the enemy deserted the place and
retreated through the jungles in the direction of Lamina.
The intrenchments were immediately taken possession
of, and considerable stores of grain and ammunition,
with a number of guns of various descriptions, fell into
the hands of the British. The Royals at this place
had only one private man wounded.

After the capture of Donabew the troops resumed
their march ; and having crossed the Irawaddy on the

//■

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

239

7th of April, at Sarrawah, were joined at that place 1825
by the reserve from F iiigoon, consisting of eight com- 2nd
panics of the Royals, • .~<der the command of Lieut.-
Colonel Arm. trorg, a regiment of native infantry, and
a supply of elephants ; the whole under the orders of
Brigadier-General M'Creagh. Thus reinforced the
army pushed forward ; the Burmese retreated ; and the
British troops arrived before Prome without the neces-
sity of firing a shot : this city, though strongly fortified,
was deserted, and in part burnt. Shortly afterwards
the wet jeascn set in, and during tin heavy rains the
army ■ uained inactive; but no opportunity was
omitted of entering upon pacific negociations with the
Burmes' government.

Information having been received of the approach
of the enemy with a considerable force towards the
British po-^ition, a reconnoissance was lUade up the river
in a steam-boat by fifty men of the Royal Regiment,
under Brigadier-General Cotton ; and on the 15 th of
August the enemy was discovered at Meeaday, on the
left bank of the river, about forty miios from Prome,
with a force of between 16,000 and 3(;,0')0 men, who
appeared all armed with muskets : they had also a
small force on the right bank of the river. The Bur-
mese opened a battery of 16 guns upon the reconnoitring
party, but the width of the river being r pwjrds of three-
quarters of a mile, their shot fell short On the 16th
the steam-boat returned to Prome.

In the early part of September pacific overtures were
made by the enemy, and an armistice "ae afterwards
concluded, when the Royals w^re selected to preserve
the line of demarcation between the two armies. Terms
of peace were also proposed, namely, — " a large portion

i »j,

240

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Ban.

1825 of territory was to be ceded by the Burmese, aiiJ two
2nd crores of rupees paid as an indemnification for the ex-
penses of the war." These conditions produced the utmost
indignation at the court of Ava, and a determination
to resist their invaders and prosecute the war with
vigour. Hostilities recommenced on the 16th of No-
vember ; and three bodies of British native infantry
were soon afterwards repulsed in an attack upon the
enemy's advanced position ; — the Burmese being in greater
force than was anticipated, and the troops sent against
them insufficient to contend against so considerable a
superiority of numbers.

The result of this attack inspired the Burmese gene-
rals with a high but false idea of their own power ; and
they advanced from their position with their whole force,
amounting to between 50,000 and 60,000 men. Briga-
dier-CionerrJ Campbell had only about 6000 men to
oppoiic to this formidable host, which threatened to
surroini*] him ; but though so very inferior in numbers to
the enemy, he calmly awaited their approach, and deter-
mined to avail himself of any favourable opportunity
of attacking them. In the meantime, in order to pre-
vent the enemy's attempts to intercept his communication
with Rangoon, and cut off his supplies, which had to be
brought a distance of 150 miles up the river Irawaddy,
the British commauder established 100 men of the
Royal Regiment, and an equal number of native in-
fantry, under the command of Captain Deane of the
Royals, at Padoun-Mew, a few miles below Prome,
on the Irawaddy, supported by a division of the flotilla
on the river under Lieutenant Kellett, of the Royal
Navy. This detachment was frequently attacked by
superior numbers, and the meritorious conduct of both

REGIMENT OF FOOT,

241

officers and men is detailed in the following copies of ^§25
letters from Captain Deaue to the Adjutant-General 2nd
of the Forces serving in Ava : — ^*'*-

20th November. — " I have the honour to report, for
" the information of the Comman'' r of the Forces,
" a brush which took place betw< larty under

" my command and the enemy this

" In the early part of the mornh , was so

" thick as to preclude our seeing anything in our front,
" and on its clearing up I discovered, by means of a
" reconnoitring party, that the enemy were in consider-
" able force on the edge of the jungle in front of my
" left, and shortly afterwards I discovered them march-
" ing in three columns across my front, for the attack of
" my right, left, and centre ; — their main object being
" evidently to gain the right of the village. I, conse-
" quently, detached a party to turn their left, and had,
" in a few minutes, the satisfaction to observe that
'* column retiring in confusion, and with considerable
" loss. I then moved forward with the remainder o^
" my party to attack their centre, which also retired in
" confusion after a very few rounds : during this time
" their right was engaged with a strong piquet which I
" had placed to dispute the passage of a bridge on the
" left of the village — this the piquet effectually did. In
" both the defence of my centre and left, I was much in-
'* debted to the prompt assistance afforded me by Lieu-
" tenant Kellett, R.N.

" The enemy's force consisted of two gilt chattahs,
" and about 800 men armed with muskets and spears,
" with two or three jinjals ; their loss I conceive to
" have been about 25 or 30 men killed. We had not, I
" am happy to say, a single man wounded. The enemy,
" however, from the great extent of the village, succeeded

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242

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1825 " in setting fire to it at both ends, but very little damage
2nd " was done, as we extinguished it almost immediately.
" The Rajah and all his attendants deserted the place
" the moment the firing commenced; he has, however,
" just returned, and appears much more composed, and
" highly delighted with the result."

November 25th. — " I have the honour to report, for
" the information of the Commander of the Forces,
" another affair which we have had with the Burmese
" this morning.

. "A little before day-break we had embarked 20 men
*'■ of the Royals, and 30 sepoys of the 26th Madras
" native infantry, in light row-boats, intended to co-
" operate with Lieut.-Colonel Godwin, on the opposite
" side of the river. They were just in the act of shoving
" off from the shore when the enemy, to the amount of
" 5000 or 6000, made a rush at our works, howling
" most horribly, and, at the same time, setting fire to
" the village, which they had entered at all points. We
" had fortunately got an 18-pounder into battery late
" yesterday evening, which, added to two 12 -pounders
" which we had before, did ^eat execution. Lieutenant
" Kellett, R.N., was at this moment shoving off with
" the row-boats, but instar^ly retfumed to our assistance
" with all his men, arid kindly undertook the super-
" intendence of our gr ns, the well-directed firo of which
"so mainly contributed to our success. The enemy,
" after nearly two ho jrs' sharp firing, retired in admir-
" able order, carryii ig off great numbers of dead and
" wounded ; so niacli so, that we have not been able to
" find more than 10 )r 12 dead bodies. I am happy to
" add, that, with t le exception of one man slightly
" grazed in the olboiv by a musket-shot, we have not a
" man either killed or wounded. The Rajah's house

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

243

B«a

'* was very early in flames, and is burnt to the ground : 1825
*' indeed, I may say the village is completely destroyed, snd
" The guns in the boats were of the greatest assistance
" in scouring the village with grape. We got pos-
" session of one jinjal and three muskets. The enemy
" appeared to have several mounted men, but I cannot
" say what they were."

November 26th. — " The enemy appeared in great
" force this morning at day-break all along our front,
" aiid had a good deal of skirmishing with the piquets ;
" but we could not succeed in drawi^^q; them within
" musket-shot of our works. They are all armed with
" muskets, and have a great many jinjals, and two or
" more guns, with which they annoyed us very con-
" siderably, having taken up a position in the woody
" part of the village, from whence they opened a musket
" fire on the boats. From this I determined to dislodge
" them, and sent out a strong party for that purpose ;
" these came close upon themj and drove them out,
" with, I have every reason to believe, considerable loss.
" They are, however, by no means discomfited, and are,
" I understand, determined to entrench themselves
" round us, and make regular approaches, as their
" orders are peremptory to carry the place. In con-
" firmation of this a number of their entrenching tools
" were left behind by the killed and wounded. Our
" only casualty this morning, I am happy to say, is
" one Lascar severely, but not dangerously, wounded : the
" shot first grazed the jaw-bone, entered the shoulder,
" and came out under the ::rm-pit. From one of the
" prisoners taken this morning, whom I have, by this
" opportunity, forwarded to Major Jackson, 1 learn
" there are absolutely 5500 men now here, and that a

244

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1825 " fiirther force is hourly expected from Puttow-down,
2nd '• where, he says, the Setahwoon now is."

Thus 200 British troops resisted the attack of between
5000 and 6000 of the enemy ; which occasioned Sir
Archibald Campbell to observe in his despatch, "the
" meritorious conduct of both officers and men, as de-
" tailed in the enclosed copies of letters from Captain
" Deane, will, I am certain, obtain for them the appro-
" bation of the Right Honourable the Govemor-Gene-
" ral in council." 'i ^^ . ^ ; - «

While this detachment was maintaining its post
against such very superior numbers of the enemy,
Brigadier-General Sir A. Campbell had resolved to
make an attack upon every accessible part of the Bur-
mese line, to the east of the Irawaddy, extending from a
commanding ridge of hills to two villages about eleven
miles north-east of Prome. The enemy's army was
divided into three corps, all protected by stockades, and
occupying positions of difficult approach ; but each sepa-
rated from the other by local obstructions, so that they
could be attacked separately.

Leaving four native regiments for the defence of
Prome, the General marched early on the morning
of the 1st of December against the enemy's left flank at
Simhike; during this movement the battalion com-
panies of the Royals were on board the flotilla under
Sir James Brisbane, diverting the attention of the enemy
from this movement by an attack upon another part of
their position, and otherwise co -operating with the land
force. On arriving at the Nawine river the army was
divided into two columns- The right, under Brigadier*
General Cotton, in which were the flank companies of
the RoYAf^, proceeding along the left bank of the river.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

245

came in front of the enemy's works, consisting of a series 1825
of stockades, covered on both flanks by thick jungle, 2nd
and by the river in the rear, and defended by a con-
siderable force, in which were 8000 Shans, a people of
Laos, under their native chiefs, who bore a high cha-
racter for gallantry, and these people were inspired with
confidence by the presence of a female, whom they
considered a prophetess. Notwithstanding the formid-
able appearance of these works, crowded with Burmese
and Shans, and bristling with spears, the flank com-
panies of the Royals, commanded by Captain Harvey,
with the 41st and 89th regiments, supported by the 18th
Madras native infantry, the whole commanded by Lieut. -
Colonel Godwin, instantly stormed the stockades, in gal-
lant style, and carried them in less than ten minutes.*
The Burmese fled, — the Shans, who had never encoun-
tered British troops before, fought manfully a short time,
but were soon overpowered, and their prophetess mor-
tally wounded. The enemy left 300 dead, including
their veteran commander, Maha Memiow, who wus 75
years of age, in the works ; also their stores and ammu-
nition, with a considerable quantity of arms, and 100
Cassay horses. The left column, under Sir Archibald
Campbell, having crossed the Nawine, came up as
the fugitives were retreating, and completed the dis-
persion of this wing of the Burmese army. The
loss of the flank companies of the Royal Regiment in
this action was — 1 Serjeant and 2 rank and file, killed :
Ensign Campbell, who died on the succeeding day, and
5 rank and file, wounded.

* *' The attack upon Sinibikc was most handsomely led by
" Licut.-CoIoncl Godwin, with the advanced guard of the tig^ht
<* column, consisting of the flank com|)anio8 of liis Majesty's RoYAts.
" &c. kc,"— London Gazette.

246

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1825 Following up this advantage. Sir A. Campbell resolved
2nd to attack the centre division of the Burmese army, posted
ou the Napadee hills, which was not effected without
considerable difficulty and some loss, but which proved
quite successAil ; the Burmese were driven from their
stockades and entrenchments, and forced to seek safety
in a precipitate flight.

The battalion companies of the Royals, having quitted
the flotilla, joined the division under Brigadier-General
Cotton,* which crossed the Iravsaddy in the course of
the night of the 4th of December, to attack the enemy's
right wing under Sudda Woon, posted on the left bank
of the river. On the following morning the attack was
made in conjunction with the r y and flotilla, and the
Burmese were soon driven f -m their extensive works
near the banks of the stream. On taking possession of
these defences it was discovered, that the enemy had a
stockaded work about half a mile in the interior, com-
pletely manned and occupied by guns. Against this
stockade the troops instantly advanced with their native
energy and fortitude; — Brigadier-General Armstrong,
of the Royals, Colonel Brodie, and Colonel Godwin,
moved against the enemy's centre and right; at the
same time Brigadier-General Cotton advanced with the
companies of the Royal Regiment against the left, and
the work was instantly carried, — the enemy leaving 300
dead on the field, and dispersing in every direction.
Several prisoners were taken, and from 300 to 350 mus-
kets, which the Burmese had abandoned in their flight,
were broken by the soldiers. Brigadier-General Cotton

• ThU division consisted of 250 of the Royals, 270 of the 4l8t,
360 or the 89th, the light company of the 28th Madras native in-
fantry, and 100 pioneers.— Z,o«(/on Gazette.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

247

Batt.

observed in his despatch, — "I have to add my warmest 1825
" acknowledgments to Brigadier Armstrong, who com- 2nd
" manded the advance ; to Colonel Brodie, who had
" charge of the light companies ; and to Colonel God-
** win, who commanded tlie reserve ; and to every officer
" and man engaged. I am happy to say this service
" was performed with the trifling loss of one man killed
" and four wounded." Thus in the course of four days
the immense army of Ava, which had threatened to
envelope Prome, and to swallow up the little body of
British troops which had penetrated into the interior
of the Burmese empire, was driven from its positions;
and, as the timorous herd is put to flight by the lion of
the forest, so the legions of Ava fled with precipitation
before the fierce attacks of the British, and sought for
shelter amongst their thick jungles. < ' ;

The British force was now at liberty to advance
upon Ummerapoora, the modem capital of the Bur-
mese empire, situated un the shores of a romantic lake
at a short distance from the left bank of the Irawaddy.
Part of the Burmese army had been rallied and had
taken post on some strong positions near Meeaday.
Against these positions the British troops advanced in
two divisions; the Royals were embarked and sailed
up the river in the flotilla, to support one of the land
divisions under Brigadier-General Cotton. During the
first stages of the march the troops proceeded along a
difficult road through thick jungle, and the men were
frequently deluged with rain, which proved injurious
to their health, and many of them suflered from attacks
of the cholera. When the troops drew near to Meeaday
the Burmese evacuated their position and took post at
Melloone, on the right bank of the Irawaddy, on a series
of fortified heights, and a formidable stockade, which

24S

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1825 was considered the ckef-d'anivre of tlie Burmese engin-
2nd eers. The British troops took post at Patanagoh, on

* the left bank of the river, opposite the enemy's works.
The Burmese sent a flag of truce, and expressed a desire
to put an end to the war ; they also not only permitted
the flotilla, on which the Royals had embarked, to pass
close under their works without interruption, but likewise
sent out two gaudy war-boats to act as pilots, and the
British naval force anchored above the town, by which
the enemy's retreat by the river was cut off. The con-
ditions of the treaty were afterwards discussed. The
Burmese negociators objected to the payment of money,
' ' and stated they were unable to raise such a sum. They
stated they might, by using great economy, pay a mil-
lion baskets of rice within a year, but they did not grow
rupees ; and, if the British had any objection to the rice,
there were abundance of fine trees in the forests which
they might cut down and take away instead of the
money. Finding these and other arguments unavailing,
the treaty was concluded, and a limited time given for
its being ratified. In the meantime a cessation of hos-
tilities had been agreed upon until the 18th of January,
182'i, and the troops remained stationary.

\Vai\e the 2nd battalion was thus employed in the
interior of the Burmese empire, where British troops had
never appeared before, the 1st battalion remained in
Ireland, whither it had proceeded in the early part of
the year 1816, as before stated. On the 25th Decem-
ber, 1825, it was separated into six service and four

1 826 reserve companies ; and in January, 1826, the service
companies embarked at Cork for the West Indies, and
the reserve companies embarked, at the same time and
place, for the Isle of Wight : the former landed at Bar-
badoes in the spring, and the latter, after remaining a

ist
Batt.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

249

1st
Batt.

2nd

short time in the south of England, embarked at Graves- 1826
end for Scotland, and landed at Leith in July.

Leaving the 1st battalion at Barbadoes and in Scot
land, the record resumes a statement of the military Batt,
operations in which the 2nd battalion was engaged
against the barbarian forces of Ava. The armistice
being in force, a fi'^e intercourse prevailed between the
two armies ; and on the 6th of January, 1826, a boat
arrived at Patanagoh from Ava with letters from Sur-
geon Sandford and Lieutenant Bennett, of the Royal
Regiment : these officers had left Prome while the bat-
talion was stationed at that place in order to proceed to
Rangoon, in consequence of ill health, and fell into the
enemy's hands a little below Padoun.*

* When Dr. Sandford and Lieutenant Bennett were captured,
preparations were made to crucify them, but, after an hour's sus-
pense, they were sent away from the river, and eventually for>
warded in chuns to the capital, a distance of 300 miles. On
reaching Ava they were thrown into a loathsome dungeon,
crowded with criminals and deserters, where the Doctor remained
five, and Lieutenant Bennett ten days, with nothing but a little
rice to support them, and even this was occasionally omitted.
After being released from gaol they were kept separate. The
Doctor was a prisoner at large in the house of an American mis-
sionary (Mr. Price), and the king's interpreter; and Lieutenant
Bennett was placed under charge of a Burmese constable, and
was in chains in a lonely situation during the troubled and fear-
ful state of Ava. From the vindictive and sanguinary disposition
of some of the Burmese ministers and chiefs, the lives of the pri-
soners were in constant jeopardy, particularly during the mo-
ments of excitement produced by disastrous intelligence from the
army. The prisoners had also to dread that, through tlie influ-
ence and fury of the Queen and Priests, they should be sacrificed
as a propitiatory offering to the Burmese gods. On the nearer
approach of the British army, the Doctor and Lieutenant Bennett
were frequently consulted on European modes of concluding
treaties of peace ; and the Burmese acknowledged they could not
reconcile to their minds the idea that a victorious army, with
nothing to impede its progress, should halt within a day or two's
march of the capital, and terminate the war on conditions ; this

250

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1826 The treaty of peace not having been ratified within the
2nd stipulated time, and the Burmese authorities appearing
to follow a system of perfidy and evasion, hostilities
recommenced on the morning of the 19th of January ;
and, after the British batteries had made an impression
on the enemy's works at Melloone, the position was
attacked by storm and carried in gallant style. The
Burmese fled in coniusion and dismay, leaving their
ordnance and military stores behind ; and the terror of
the British arms filled the court of Ava with con-
sternation : but, still indulging a vain and delusory hope
of eventual success, new levies were made, and a new
general and a new army took the field.

On the 25th of January the army resumed its march
towards the enemy's capital, and on the 31st it was met
by Dr. Price, an American missionary, and Dr. Sand-
ford, whom the sovereign of Ava had despatched as
messengers of peace. Terms, similar to what had
already been agreed upon, were ofiered, but the British
commander refused to halt until they were accepted ;
he, however, promised not to pass PagahmMew, which
was between him and the capital, in less than twelve days.

was not Burman custom. To use their own simile, they could
not believe the cat with the mouse in her claws would refrain
from demolishing it ; and, therefore, they concluded the pecuniary
demand of the English general was merely a ruse to obtain as
much precious metal as possible, and afterwards as much terri-
tory would be retained as was deemed convenient. To raise their
opinion of British faith, the Doctor engaged to convey a letter to the
British camp, and to return of his own accord, and his re-appearance
astonished the Burmese ministers, and whole population of Ava.

Lieutenant (now Major) Bennett wrote an interesting narra-
tive of the various scenes and incidents he met with, all of a
novel and singular nature, and exhibiting traits and peculiarities
of the Burman character, which his situation as a prisoner of war
could alone develope. This narrative was published in the first and
second volumes of the United Service Journal.

HEOIMBNT OF FOOT.

251

The Burmese resolved once more to try their fortune 1826
in battle, and their army was formed in position to stop 2nd
the advance of their invaders. This brought on an
action, which was fought on the 9th of February, near
Pagahm-Mew ; and on this occasion the Biuinese aban-
doned their system of combating behind barriers, and
encountered the British force in the open field ; but after
a contest of five hours the barbarians were overthrown, and
the conquerors were left in possession of Pagahm-Mew,
with all its stores, ordnance, arms, and ammunition.

No opposing army now remained between the British
and the capital of the Burmese empire ; the troops con-
tinued their route through a country which presented a
wide extent of rich and well-cultivated grounds, thickly
interspersed with copsewood and villages ; while temples
and pagodas adorned the banks of .the river, and gave an
imposing effect to this glittering eastern scenery. Terror
and consternation prevailed at the Burmese court ; and
when the army had arrived within four days' march of
the capital, it was met by the ratified treaty, which put
an end to the war. A party of oflScers from the army
visited the capital, and were received by the humbled
monarch with every honour.

Thus an eastern empire, with its myriads of inha- :
bitants, was subdued by the constancy and valour of a
handful of British troops, who had marched from victory
to victory, and had forced a haughty monarch to sue for
peace. The following is an extract from an order issued
by the Governor-General of India on this subject : —

" While^the Governor-General in Council enumerates,
" with sentiments of unfeigned admiration, the achieve-
" ments of the First, or Royals, the 13th, 38th, 4l8t,
*♦ 45th, 47th, 87th, and 89th Regiments, the Honour-
*' able Company's Madras European Regiment, and the
" Bengal and Madras European Artillery, as the Euro-

252

THE PIR8T, OR ROYAL

1826 <* pean troops which have had the honour of establishing

2nd " the renown of the British arms in a new and distant
Batt.

" region, his Lordship in Council feels that higher and
" more justly- merited praise cannot be bestowed on
" those brave troops than that, amidst the barbarous
" hosts which they have fought and conquered, they
*' have eminently displayed the virtues and sustained
" the character of the British soldier."

The meritorious conduct of the Royals was rewarded
by King George IV. with the honour of bearing the
word " AvA " on their colours.

The object of the war having been accomplished, the
troops commenced retiring in the early part of March ;
the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment proceeded
down the river Irawaddy in boats to Rangoon, where
it arrived on the 25th of March. After remaining at
this place a few days, the 1st division, under Lieut-Colo-
nel Armstrong, embarked for Madras, where it landed
on the 18th of May. The 2nd division, under Captain
L. MacLaine, followed, and, having landed on the 19th
of June, the battalion was encamped near Madras until
the beginning of July, when it marched to Bangalore. >;

1827 The service companies of the Ist battalion remained
ist at Barbadoes until 1827, when they were ordered to

Ratt.

Trinidad ; and they were stationed at that island during

the succeeding four years.
1830 The 2nd battalion remained at Bangalore until July,
^nd 1830, when it was ordered to Arnee, as a preparatory

measure previous to its embarkation for Europe*. From

• Copy of a letter from Major-Oeneral Sir Theophilm PritZ'
let to the Colonel of the Royal Regiment : —

" Bangalore, East Indies, 30th July, 1830.
" Mt Lobd Duke,

" Thb 2nd battalion of the Roya7. Regiment having been
" under my command ibr nearly five years, I cannot allow it to
" march from Bangalore without conveying to your grace the

Batt.

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

253

Arnee the battalion proceeded to Marmalong Bridge, 1831
about seven miles from Madras, where it was encamped -iai
for several weeks ; and while at this station the following
order was issued : — . ^ ,„. ,■

" Fort St. George, 26th February, 1831.

" GENERAL ORDER BY GOVERNMENT.

" The Right Honourable the Governor in
Council cannot permit His Majesty's Royal Regi-
ment to quit India, after forming a part of the army
of this presidency for 23 years, without publicly re-
cording his high sense of its distinguished merits.
" During the Mahratta war the Royal Regiment was
more than three years in the field.
" It nobly maintained the character of British soldiers

high opinion I entertain of it both collectively and, individually.
Its zeal and good conduct as soldiers ^^xe been equally con-
spicuous as its anxiety to produce harrnuiiy and good fellow-
ship in society ; and it will leave a lasting impression upon the
inhabitantii of this place, which has been marked in a most
flattering manner.

" This battalion has of late been commanded by a particular
friend of mine (Lieut.-Colonel Wetherall), in a manner which
has produced the goodwill of his officers and soldiers in an
eminent degree, and placed the battalion in the highest state of
discipline ; and 1 only regret that your grace cannot see it in
the state in which it leaves this station, which, after a service
in India of 23 years, has, 1 believe, astonished our Commander-
in-Chief, who is now here.

" The corps of officers is highly respectable, and amongst them
are some of the finest young men in the army. I am, tlierefore,
confident that, under your grace's protection, the 2nd battalion
of the RoTALs will very soon rival our best regiments in Eng-
land.

" I trust your grace will excuse this long intrusion ; I sincerely
hope that you enjoy your health ; and 1 have the h^ lour to be,

"My Lord Duke,
" Your faithful and obedient servant,

" Thbophilvs Pritzler.
7h His Grace the Duke of Gordon."

254

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

] 831 " at the battle of Maheidpoor ; and, after gallantly
2nd " sharing in other conflicts of that eventful period in the
" peninsula, it embarked for Rangoon, and assisted in
" maintaining the honour of the British arms, and in
" establishing peace with the Ava dynasty.

" The Right Honourable the Governor in Council
" has only further to add, that the conduct of the oflS-
" cers and men of His Majesty's Royal Regiment,
" when in garrison, has been xch as to meet with the
" entire approbation of Government, and that his best
" wishes for their continued welfai'e and fame will ac-
" company them in whatever part of the world the
" national interest and honour may call for their ser-

" vices."

The first division of the battalion embarked for England
on the '29t\i of January 1831 ; the remainder proceeded
on the 21st of March to Fort St. George, and the second
division embarked u Madras on the same day. The
other divisions embarked on the 3rd and 16th of June,
9th of July, and 5th of September.

The first five divisions arrived in England during the
summer and autumn of 1831 ; and on the 25th of
December they embarked at Chatham for Scotland,
under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel G. A. Wetherall, and
landed at Leith on the 6th of January following.
1832 The 'ast division disembarked at Chatham on the
15th of January, 1832; and the battalion passed that
and the succeeding year in Scotland. \

In October of this year His Majesty was pleased to
approve of the following regulation : —

" Tliat the devices and distinctions on the colours and
" appointments of the two battalions of the First, or
" Royal Regiment of foot, be the same in each
" battalion, as is the case in the several battalions of the

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

255

" three regiiiients of Foot Guards, and also in those 1832
" regiments of the line which formerly consisted of two 2nd
" or more battalions.

" Approved.

" WILLIAM R.

" 18^A October 1832."

In the meantime the service companies of the 1st bat-

l8t

Batt.

talion had removed from the island of Trinidad, — three
companies and head-quarters to St. Lucia, and three
companies to Dominica. On their departure from Tri- >
nidad, the following order was issued by the Governor of
the island : —

" Trinidad, 16th January, 1832.
" AFTER BRIGADE ORDERS.

" His Excellency Major-General Sir Lewis Grant
" cannot allow the head-quarters of the Royal Regi-
" ment to quit Trinidad without expresshig to Lieut.-
" Colonel Carter, and the officers, non-commissioned
" officers, and men of the regiment, the very great satis-
" faction their general conduct, both as officers and men,
*' has affi)rded him since his landing at Trinidad.

" The decorous conduct of the corps, and the perfect
*' manner in which its duties have been performed,
" entitle it to the greatest praise. For this His Excel-
" lency returns to Lieut. -Colonel (Jarter his particular
" thanks, and requests he will make a communication to
" the same effect to the officers and others under his
" command.

" His Excellency assures the officers and men of the
" Royal Regiment that they carry with them his best
" wishes for their welfare."

On the 2Gth of October, 1833, the reserve conijumlos 1H33
of the Ist battalion embarked from Glaagow for Ireland,
and landed at Londonderry on the 28th of that month.

256

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

1833 In December of the same year the second battalion em-
2nd barked from Glasgow, and, having landed at Belfast,

' was stationed in Ireland two years and a half.

1834 His Grace the Duke of Gordon was removed in De-
cember, 1834, to the Third, or Scots Fusilier Regiment
of Foot Guards ; and the Colonelcy of the Royal Regi-
ment was conferred by His Majesty King William IV.,
on General Thomas Lord Lynedoch, G.C.B., from the
14th Regiment of Foot.

1835 The six service companies of the 1st battalion quitted
1st the West Indies in December, 1835, and proceeded to

Ireland, where they arrived in the early part of 1836 ;
and, having joined the reserve companies, the battalion
remained in that part of the United Kingdom upwards
of two years.

1836 During the summer of 1836, the 2nd battalion was
2nd divided into six service and four depot companies; and

in July the service companies embarked at Cork for
Canada, leaving the depot companies at Boyle, from
whence they were removed in the succeeding year to
Newbridge.

The service companies landed at Quebec on the 24th
of August, and passed the winter and succeeding spring
in garrison at that city.

1837 In May, 1837, two Serjeants and twenty rank and file
were detached from Quebec to G rosso Isle, where they
were stationed, with a detachment of the Royal Ar-
tillery, and of the 15th and 66th regiments, under Major
Jackson. The remainder of the service companies pro-
ceeded in July from Quebec to Montreal, where they
were stationed, with the 32nd and a small detach-
ment of the 15th, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel
Wetherall, K.H., of the Royals. A detachment of
nine rank and file of the Royals was stationed at Sorel ;

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

257

and in August the party was withdrawn from Grosse 1837
Isle. 2ud

On the 24th of Septemher the depSt companies of this
battalion embarked at Kingstown for England, and
landed on the 26th at Devonport.

Previous to the arrival of the Royals in Lower
Canada, the minds of the inhabitants of that flourishing
colony were agitated by factious men, who sought
to dictate to the Government measures not deemed con-
ducive to the welfare of the state. During the summer,
the House of Assembly refused to proceed in its de- '•'
liberations until the demand for the total alteration of the
legislative powers was complied with ; and this was
followed by the appearance of many of the colonists in
arms, and by open violations of the law. The revolt
rapidly extending, the law-officers of the Crown and the
magistrates of Montreal applied to Lieut.-General Sir
John Colborne, KC.B. (now Lord Seaton), the commander
of the forces in Canada, for a military force to assist in
apprehending several persons charged with high treason,
who were supposed to be at the villages of St. Denis and St.
Charles; and Colonel Gore was sent with detachments
of the 24th, 32nd, and 66th regiments, and one howitzer,
with a magistrate to St. Denis ; at the same time Lieut. -
Colonel Wetherall, K.II., of the Royals, was directed to
move with Captain David's troop of Montreal cavalry,
four companies of the Royals, a detachment of the 66th,
and two six-pounders, from Chambly, on St. Charles^ a
village seventeen miles fi'om the ferry at Chambly, to
assist the magistrates in executing the warrants.

The detachment under Lieut.-Colonel Wetherall
passed the river Richelieu by the upper ferry at Chambly ;
but the severity of the weather, and the bad state of the
roads, impeded the march, and information having been

258

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

1837 received of the ■. ^ ed numbers of the rebels at St.

2nd Charles, the detachment halted at St. Hilaire until
joined by another company of the Royals from
Chambly. On the 26th of November the detachment
resumed[its march, and on arriving within a mile of St
Charles it was fired upon by the insurgents on the
opposite side of the river, and one man of the Royal
Regiment was wounded. Several rifle shots were also
fired from a barn in front, which was burnt by the
detachment. On arriving at the vicinity of St. Charles
1500 rebels were found posted in a close stockaded work,
which was attacked ; and after firing a few rounds, the
troops assaulted and carried the defences by storm,
killed a number of the rebels, took sixteen prisoners, and
burnt the buildings. The Royals had 1 serjeant and 1
rank and file killed ; 8 rank and file severely, and 7
slightly, wounded. Lieut. -Colonel Wetherall's horse
was shot under him during the action, and Major
Warde's horse was severely wounded, and died afterwards.
The detachment of the 66th had 1 man killed and 3
wounded.

Lieut.-Colonel Wetherall observed In his despatch : —
" Every officer and man behaved nobly. Major Warde
" carried the right of the position in good style, and
" Captain Glasgow's artillery did good execution. He
" is a most zealous officer. Captain David's troop of
" Montreal cavalry rendered essential service during the
" charge."

After this success the detachment retired, on the 27th
of November, to St. Hilaire, and advanced on tlio
following day towards Point Olivit're, to attack a body
of reblels who had taken post at that place, and con-
structed an abatis, for the purpose of cutting off" the
retreat of the detachment ; but when the troops formed

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

259

Batt.

for the attack, the rehels, after exchanging a few shots, 1837
fled, leaving two guns mounted on carts behind them. 2Dd
The detachment returned on the same day with 25
prisoners to Chambly, the men having suffered much
from heavy rains, roads knee-deep in mud, and also
from frost and snow.

In the meantime the detachments under Colonel Gore
had, from obstructions of a formidable nature, and from
the severe state of the weather, failed in the attempt on
St. Denis, and had retired. The conduct of Lieutenant
Lysons of the Royal Regiment, attached to the Quarter-
Master General's department, who was employed on this
service, was spoken of in terms of commendation, and
also the exertions of Surgeon Famden, in rendering
assistance to the wounded. After the success of the
Royals at St. Charles, the rebels broke up from their
post at St. Denis.

The rebellion was, however, not arrested in its
progress, and the troops had much harassing duty to
perform in severe weather. On the 13th of December
Lieut.-General Sir John Colbome proceeded with all
his disposable force (including the companies of the
Royal Regiment) towards St. Eust'i.che, to put down
the revolt in the country of the Lake of the Two Moun-
tains, where the insurgents had driven the loyal
inhabitants from their homes, and had pillaged an
extensive tract of country. The Royals, with the
Montreal rifles, and Captain Globinsky's company of
volunteers, formed a brigade under Lieut.-Colonel
Wetherall. The volunteers were detached to the woods
bordering on the upper road to St. Eustache, to drive in
and disperse the rebel piquets. The remainder of the
brigade, with the other disposable troops, crossed the
north branch of the Ottawa river on the ice, on the 14th

260

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Ban.

1837 of December, advanced upon St. Eustache, and 'intered
2nd the village at several points. The Royals and Montreal
rifles advanced up the main street, and took posseasion
of the most defensible houses. An oflScer was detached
to bring up the artillery ; but he was driven back by the
fire of the rebels, who had taken post in the church. The
artillery entered the village by the rear, and opened
their fire on the church door, while some companies of
the Royals and rifles occupied the houses nearest to the
church. After about an hour's firing, and the church
doors remaining unforced, a party of the Royals
assaulted the presbytery, killed some of its defenders,
and set it on fire. The smoke soon enveloped the church,
and the remainder of the battalion advanced ; a
straggling fire opened upon them from the Seignior's
house, forming one face of the square in which the
church stood, and Lieut. -Colonel Wetherall directed the
grenadiers to carry it, which they did, killing several,
taking many prisoners, and setting it on fire. At the
same time part of the battalion commanded by Major
Warde entered the church by the rear, drove out and
slew the garrison, and set the church on fire. 118
prisoners were made in these assaults. The Royals
had 1 man killed and 4 wounded in this service.

On the 16th the Royals advanced with the remainder
of the disposable force to St. Benoit, where no opposition
was ofiered ; and the rebels sent delegates to say they were
prepared to lay down their arms unconditionally. The
Royals returned to Montreal, where they arrived on the
17th of December with the prisoners. The good results
of these movements were the return of the peasantry to
their usual occupations, and the disappearance of armed
parties of the rebels.

ered

treal

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Flint, or Royal Regiment of Foot, 1838.

[TofaccpagcMI.

\ ;

REGIMENT OF FOOT.

261

\ ;

In May, 1838, the first battalion proceeded from 1838
Ireland to Scotland. ist

In November, 1839, the first battalion was again igsg
directed to prepare for foreign service, and the six service i»t
companies were embarked from Greenock for Gibraltar
on the 11th and 25th of that month, on board the troop
ships Athol and Sapphire.

The four dep6t companies remained in Scotland until 1841
May, 1841, when they were embarked for Ireland. is*

In September, 1843, three companies of the second 1343
battalion were embarked at Toronto for the West Indies ; 2nd
and on the 28th October the head-quarters, with the * "
other three companies, under the command of Major
Bennett, were embarked at Quebec for the same des-
tination on board of the Premier transport, which was
wrecked in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but fortunately no
lives were lost, and the three companies returned to
Quebec on the 12th November.

On the 18th December, 1843, General Lord Lynedoch
died, and the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred by
Her Majesty on General the Right Honourable Sir
George Murray, G.C.B., from the 42nd Royal Highland
Regiment.

The head-quarters and the three companies of the 1844
second battalion, under the command of Lieut-Colonel 2iid

Bfltt»

Bell, again embarked from Quebec on the 20th May
1844, and arrived on the 1st June at Halifax, Nova
Scotia, where they remained until November, when they
proceeded from Halifax to the West Indies, and arrived
at Barbadoes on the 8th and 17th November.

The service companies of the second battalion returned i846
from the West Indies in January, 1846, and arrived at 2nd
Leith on the 2l8t March, from whence they proceeded

262

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL

Batt.

to Glasgow, where they were joined by the depdt com-
panies, which embarked from Belfast in May, 1845.
1846 The service companies of the first battalion embarked
ist from Gibraltar for the West Indies, on the 17th
February, 1846, and arrived at Barbadoes on the 21st
March. The depdt companies, which proceeded from
Glasgow to Dublin in 1841, remained in Ireland.

On the 28th July, 1846, General the Right Honour-
able Sir George Murray, G.C.B. died, and Her Majesty
was pleased to confer the colonelcy of the First or Royal
Regiment of Foot on General the Right Honourable Sir
James Kempt, G.C.B., from the Second, or Queen's
Royal Regiment of Foot.

The head-quarters of the first battalion are at
Trinidad: the dep6t companies at Newbridge: the
second battalion is at Edinburgh, at the close of the
year 1846, at which period this record is concluded.

1846.

RKOIMENT OF FOOT.

263

The foregoing account proves the antiquity of the
First, or Royal Regiment of Foot, and gives a
statement of its services for a period of more than 200
years, during which it has acquired laurels under the
great Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, and under
the French Marshals, Turenne, the Prince of Conde,
Luxembourg, and De Crequi : it has since formed a
part of the British army which has fought and conquered
under King William III., Marlborough, Aber-
CROMBY, Moore, and Wellington, the most celebrated
warriors and consummate generals of their periods;
thus establishing a fame and distinction which, it is
presumed, few, if any, other military bodies in Europe
can claim The career of the Royal Regiment has
not evinced a feverish and uncertain valour, sometimes
emitting sudden flashes which startle and surprise, and
at others betraying weakness and pusillanimi 3, but it
has proved uniform and invincible ; and vhetlier era-
ployed against the barbarous tribes of Asia, Africa, and
America, or the disciplined legions of Europe, the officers
and men of the Royal Regiment have, on all occasions,
displayed the native energy, firmness, and contempt of
danger peculiar to Britons ; and by their victories in every
quarter of the globe, they have established a reputation
for future ages to emulate. ' i • :■.::'

Posterity, looking back at the splendid achievements
of the British arms in various parts of the world, will
naturally inquire what regiments won honour and fame in
the several fields of glory where British valour was sternly
proved. To this it may be answered that, in the seven-
teenth century, when Gustavus Adolphus stood forth
the champion of the Protestant princes of Germany, this

264 THE FIRST, OR ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT.

regiment fought and conquered in that glorious cause ;
and it claims the honour of having fought at the battle
of Leipsic, famous in the history of Sweden, and at
RoucROY, celebrated in the annals of France.

Tn the succeeding century, when the balance of power
in Europe was destroyed by the union of France and
Spain, and Louis XIV. sought tu jfetate laws to Christen-
dom, this regiment was one of th first which appeared
at the scene of conflict, and it share« in the victories of
Blenheim, Ramilies, Oldenarde, d Malplaquet,
also in the honour of capturing •' for io*ses whic^ that
ambitious monarch had ererted a. mlwarks to his king-
dom ; and thus purchased peace tu Kur> u.

When Bonaparte, whose hatrcl ai 1 jealousy of
Englan< were unalterable, sought t
the dictator of Europe, this regim
of the usurper, and fought and ii
which are inscribed on its colours
stimulate to deeds of valour the men of
who shall t^nrol themselves under tb<
Ro Y A L Reg f m e n t. Besides these leac i
career, in which the national charact*-
have been eicvated, this regiment has
brilliant qualities in actions which, though ''"«'' important
in their bearing on the affairs of Europe, hiive attested
the intrinsic merit of the corps, and have purchased
numerous advantages to the commerce, power, stability,
and happiness c f Britain.

'•orae more than

met the legions

.iphed in battles,

3 monuments to

e generations,

anners of the

features of its

and influence

inced equally

m'-

iil'K

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OP THE

FIRST, OR ROYAL REGIMENT of FOOT.

Sia John Hepburn,

Appointed 26th January ^ 1633.

John Hepburn* descended from the Hepburns of Bothwell,
an ancient and distinguished family, which for many ages had
extensive possessions in East Lothian. His father was pro-
prietor of the lands of Althestaneford, and gave young Hepburn
a liberal education. From his earliest youth he was remark-
able for spirit and resolution. When he quitted college he
made the tour of part of Europe (in 1615), and the rising fame
of Gusiavus Adolphusof Sweden, of whose character he heard
frequent commendations, gave birth to a spark of military
ardour within his breast which was never extinguished till his
death. Soon after his return from his travels, when the at-
tempt was made to rescue Bohemia from the power of Austria,
he engaged in the cause of liberty, and commanded a company
of foot at several sieges and actions in Bohemia, Alsace, and
Germany, and at the battle near Fleurus. When the King of
Bohemia's forces were disbanded, he entered the service of the
Swedisli monarch. In his first essay in arms he displayed an
ardour which procured him the favour and approbation of Gus-
tavus, whose vigilant eye soon detected in this aspiring youth all
the qualities requisite to constitute an excellent soldier. After a

* Historians have fallen into several errors respecting this distiu-
guished officer. Pere Daniel states that he was esteemed by Henry IV.
of France, whereas Henry IV. died in 1610, and young Hepburn did
not leave school until 1614; Hamilton states that he was knighted on
his return from the continent by James VI.; but this monarch died in
1625, and Colonel Hepburn did not return until 1632 ; and Harte, in his
life of Gustavus Adolphus, states that Colonel Hepburn was killed in a
duel in France ; whereas there is abundant proof that he was killed at
the siege of Saverne.

266

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

short service in tlie subordinate commissions he was quickly ad-
vanced to the command of a regiment, and was employed in
services which required a considerable portion of skill and valour.
He was invariably either at the head of his regiment, or at the
head of the brigade of which his regiment formed part, and, as
his regiment was incorporated into a Scots corps in the French
Service, now tlie First, or Royal Regiment of Foot, his
services are set forth in the historical record of this corpa,
where his name will be found associated with deeds of valour
and heroism of particular brilliancy. He appears to have
been celebrated equally for bravery, skill, and humanity : he
was beloved and esteemed by Gustavus Adolphus, and also by
his companions in arms, both officers and soldiers . .nd his
presence inspired confidence in the ranks of the brave Scots
who fought under his command.*

That innate spirit and fire which constitutefl a part of his
character, rendered him incapable of brooking even an ima-
ginary injury ; and Gustavus Adolphus, who was equally
remarkable for the fiery temperament of his constitution,
having uttered one or two sharp expressions to the brave
Scottish warrior, he declared he would never more unsheath
his sword in the Swedish quarrel. The king is said to have
placed more confidence in this officer than in any other colonel
in the Swedish army ; and some days before their disagreement
his Majesty had appointed him to the command of half tlie
infantry in tlie camp at Nurenburg. Tiie king afterwards
made several condescensions to Hepburn, and appeared par-
ticularly desirous of retaining this valuable officer in his
service; but the Scottish hero was inflexible, and he quitted
the Swedish army in H332. On his arrival at the British
court, his fame having preceded him, he mus knighted. He
soon afterwards tendered his services to the king of France,
who was too well acquainted with the character, Ciqnbilities,
and experience of this renowned Scot, not to give iiim employ-
ment, and he was placed at the head of a regiment, constituted

* Colonel Monro, aftorwards liord Monro, sjH'iiks of Hepburn in the
highest terms of praise ; they were first schoolfellows at college — then
companions in tlieir travels — and afterwards associates in war. partaking
of the same toils, dangers, and triumphs. — See Moiu'o's Expedition
part ii. p. 75.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

267

of some new levies and old Scots companies in the French
service, now the First, ob Royal Regiment op Foot, in the
British line. His commission was dated the 26th of January*
1633 ; and at the head of this corps he distinguished himself
in Alsace and Germany, and had the satisfaction of seeing
many of the veterans of his former regiment incorporated in his
new corps. He commanded a division of the French army on
the Rhine, and was on the point of being advanced to the
dignity of a Marshal of France ; but he was killed at the siege
of Saverne, before the diploma reached him. Thus terminated
the career of one of the best officers Scotland ever produced.
He was known in France by the title of the Chevalier
Hebron ; and such was the fame of his gallantry, that,
although he was killed in the reign of Louis XIII., a monu-
ment was erected to his memory some years afterwards by
Louis XIV., in the cathedral of Toul. A contemporary his-
torian (Lithgow) states " he was one of the best soldiers in
Christendom, and, consequently, in the world."

James Hepburn,
Appointed 26th August, 1636.

This officer was cousin to Sir John Hepburn, and heir
apparent of the ancient house of Wachton. He was one of the
gallant Scots, who, led by a native ardour for military fame,
sought renown in foreign lands, and fought under the great
Gustavus Adolphus in the glorious attempt made by that mo-
narch to rescue the Protestant princes of Germany from the
power of the emperor. In toils, dangers, and triumphs, he was
the companion of Sir John Hepburn. He rose to the rank of
Lieut.-Colonel in the Swerlish army ; and having transferred
his servictJ to the crown of France, he succeeded Sir John
Hepburn in the Colonelcy of the Scots corps, now the Royal
Regiment. He was killed in action in Lorraine a few months
afterwards ; hut tlie particular circumstances connected with
his fall have not been a>icertnined.

LoHD James Douglas,

Appointed in 1637.

Lord (Iames Douglas, second sou of William, first Murqui.«
of Douglas, acquired celebrity in the wars between the house

268

SUCCKSSIOIf OF COLONELS.

of Austria and the Protestant league, and distinguished himself
in France, Flanders, Italy, and Germany. He obtained the
Colonelcy of the Scots corps, now the Iioyal Regiment op
Foot, in 1637 ; and was killed while in the command of a
flying camp between Douay and Arras in October, 1655. A
monument was erected to his memory in the church of St.
Germain de Prez, at Paris, with an inscription in Latin.

Lord George Douglas,

Appointed 21o< October, 1655.

Lord George Douglas was tlie son of William, first Marquis
of Douglas, by his second wife Mary, daughter of George, first
Marquis of Iluntly. In his youth he was page of honour to
Louis XIV. Having made choice of the profession of arms,
he entered the service of the king of France, and succeeded his
brother in the Colonelcy of the Scots Regiment, now tiie
Royal Regiment, in the British line. In 1672 he served
with the French army in the Netherlands, and was attaclied to
the division commanded by IMarshal Turenne. lie afterwards
served several campaigns with the French army on the Rhine ;
highly distinguished himself in the defence of Treves, and
was promoted to the rank of Major-General in France. He
was created Eaul of Dumbarton on the 9th of March, 1675.
In the early part of tlie reign of King James II. tiie Earl of
Dumbarton was Commander-in-Chief in Scotland ; and he
commanded tlie troops which suppressed the rebellion of the
Earl of Argyle in the summer of 1685. He was subsequently
elected a Knight Companion of tiie Order of tlie Thistle. He
held the rank of Lieut. -(Jeneral in England, and was second
In command of the army encamped on Ilounslow Heath in
1687 and 1688. At the Revolution he adhered to King
James II., whom lie followed to France, where he died in 1692.

Fredkrkk Duke SnroMuiniG,
Ajtjioi/itcd 31*7 Dcrcmlicr, 1688.

Fhedeuk K de ScHoMiiEKn descended from an ancient and
noble family of that name of the Palatinate, or Lower Rhine ;
and, during the struggle made by (lie Protestant states of
Europe against the power of Austria and Spain, he served

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

269

under Frederick Henry Prince of Orange, after whose death
he engaged in the service of the King of France.

Portugal, after having been subject to Spain many years,
asserted its independence in 1640 ; and a sanguinary war
commenced between the two kingdoms. The Spaniards had
penetrated into the heart of Portugal, and were antici-
pating its speedy subjugation, when Louis XIV. sent General
de Schomberg secretly to the aid of the house of Braganza.
He was already famous for his successful defence of Bourbourg
against two powerful armies, and for his conduct in the wars
in Rouissillon ; and, when placed at the head of the Portugues ^
forces, his name at once aroused the desponding adherents of
the Braganza family, and inspired them with new hopes and
new expectations. While his presence infused courage into
the army, his discretion, for which he was always remarkable,
directed its energies to advantage ; towns were taken, battles
were won, and finally a powerful army headed by Don John
of Austria was defeated, and the Spanish monarch forced, in
1668, to acknowledge the independence of Portugal, and to
conclude a peace with the house of Braganza. His success
excited the surprise of Europe, and his achievements were
celebrated by poets and orators in several languages.*

After his success in Portugal he commanded a French
force against the Spaniards in Catalonia ; and his merits
became so conspicuotjs, that in 167o he was promoted by
Louis XIV. to the dignity of a marshal of France. He sub-
sequently commanded the French army in the Netherlands,
and in 1676 he forced the Prince of Orange to raise tlie siege
of Maestricht. In a few years afterwards the king of France
endeavoured to suppress the Protestant religion in his king-
dom, when Marshal de Schomberg, refusing to become a papist,
his services appear to have been, to a certain extent, forgotten.
Various means had formerly been used, and prospects of
advancement to tlie highest honours lield out, to induce him to
change his religion, but in vain ; and he now obtained liberty
to quit France on condition of Ids proceeding to Portugal.
Soon afterwards he obtained permission to proceed to Germany;

* Ahr(<j(«< de In Vie de Frederic Due de Schomberg, par M. de
Luzane}'.

270

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

and the emperor designed to have placed this distinguished
veteran at the head of his armies, but was prevented by the
influence of the Jesuits. The Elector of Brandenburg availed
himself of the services of Marshal de Schomberg, and ap-
pointed him a minister of state, and Generalissimo of Prussia.
When William Prince of Orange (afterwards William III.)
was preparing an army for a descent on Britain, to oppose the
proceedings of James II., his Highness was desirous of obtain-
ing the services of Marshal de Schomberg, who waa considered
one of the greatest captains of his time, and, being devoted to
the Protestant interest, he consented to accompany the Prince.
The success which attended this enterprise enabled his
Highness to reward the veteran commander, who was appointed
Colonel of the Royal Regiment, and Master-General of the
Ordnance. He was also constituted a Knight of the Garter,
and created Baron of Teyes, Earl of Brentford, Marquis of
Harwich, and Duke Schomberg. During the summer of
1689 he was sent Commander-in-Chief to Ireland to relieve
the persecuted Protestants, and to rescue that kingdom from
the power of King James ; and he was killed at the battle of
the Boyne, in July, 1690, while gallantly advancing with a
regiment of foot to charge the enemy. Thus terminated the
life of this distinguished veteran in tiie 84th year of his age.
He was buried at St. Patrick's, Dublin, where a stone with an
inscription was placed over his tomb by tlie Dean and Chapter
of tJie chufch.

SiK RoBKRT Douglas,

Appointed 5th March, 1691.

Amongst the many officers whicli Scotland lias produced,
who have signalized tiiemselves in war, few have evinced
brigiiter military virtues than the brave Siu Robert Douglas
of (Jlenbervie. He was second cousin to the Earl of Dumbar-
ton ; he served many years in the Royal Regiment, in which
he rose to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel ; and he was known as a
brave and generous aspirant to military fame, when King Wil-
liam III. promoted him to the Colonelcy of the Regiment.
Bright prospects of future glory were before him. lie had
alrciidy given asttunisliing proofs of personal bravery at the

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

271

battle of Steenkirk, when he saw one of the colours of his
regiment in the hands of the French. He instantly rushed
forvvard into the thickest of the enemy's ranks, and rescued the
colour at the expense of his life, as more fully detailed in the
historical record of the Royal Regiment. He lived beloved
and admired, and fell regretted by his sovereign and country,
but more particularly by the officers and men of his regimenr,
with whom he had served in various parts of the world, and in
whose breasts his memory was cherished with particular
tenderness. By his fall he purchased a renown which more
fortunate commanders have failed to acquire ; and the story of
liis gallantry will survive to the remotest ages.

Lord George Hamilton, -

Appointed \st August, 1692.

Lord George Hamilton, fifth son of William Duke of
Hamilton, was an officer in the Royal Regiment in the reign
of Charles II., and also of James II.,* and, adhering to the
Protestant interest at the Revolution in 1688, he was advanced
to the rank of Lieut. -Colonel, and on the 1st of March, 1690, to
the brevet rank of Colonel. He served under King William ill.
in Ireland, and distinguished liimself at the battle of the Boyne ;
and in 1691 he was at the siege of Athlone, at the battle of
Aghrim, and at the capture of Limerick. In January, 1692,
he was appointed Colonel of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, at the
head of which corps he distinguislied himself at the battle of
Steenkirk, and his gallantly was rewarded with the Colonelcy
of the Royal Regiment. Continuing to serve under King
William in the Netherlands, he distinguished himself in 1693 at
the unfortunate battle of Landen, and in 1695 at the siege and
capture of Namur, and while engaged in this service he was
promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. On tiie 3r(l of
January, 1696, he was advanced to the peerage by the title of
Baron Dechmont, Viscount of Kirkwall, ind Earl of Orkney;
and in March, 1702, he waw promoted l : o rank of Major-Ge-
neral. He served the campaign of this year under the Earl of

* Captain in the Royai, Regiment in 1684. Vide Nathan Brooke's
Army I-ist, dnteil 1st October, ir.a4; also in KiST. Vide Bibl. Harl.
4847.

272

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

Marlborough, and was engaged in the siege of Stevenswart.
He commanded a brigade of infantry during the campaign of
1703, was advanced to the rank of Lieut.-General, and invested
with the Order of the Thistle in 1704; and, having proceeded
with the army into the heart of Germany, took part in gaining
the glorious victories of Schellenberg and Blenheim. In 1705
he distinguished himself at the siege and capture of Huy ; and
in the following year at the battle of Ramilies, and the siege of
Menin. He also took a distinguished part in the battle of
Oudenarde ; in covering the siege of Lisle ; and in forcing the
passage of the Scheldt in 1708. In 1709 he distinguished
himself in the movements which preceded and led to the
battle of Malplaquet, and during this hard -contested action he
signalized himself at the head of fifteen battalions of infantry.
He also signalized himself at the siege of Douay in 1710 ; and
in the beginning of the following year he was promoted to the
rank of General. He was also engaged in passing the French
lines in 1711, and commanded twenty battalions of infantry
at the siege of Bouchain.

On these occasions the Earl of Orkney had evinced
personal bravery and military talents of a superior character.
At the close of the war he was a member of the Privy Council,
and Governor of Edinburgh Castle. On the accession of
George I. he was appointed one of the Lords of the Bed-
chamber to His Majesty, and Governor of Virginia ; and in
January, 1736, he was promoted to tlie rank of Field Marshal.
He was many years one of the sixteen representatives of the
Scottish peerage, and died in January, 1737.

Honourable James St. Clair,
Appointed 21th June, 1737.

This officer entered the army in the reign of Queen Anne,
and had tlie honour of serving under the celebrated John
Duke of Marlborough. He was several years in the 3rd Foot
Guards; and in 1722 he obtained tlie brevet rank of Colonel.
In October, 1 734, King George II. appointed Inm Colonel of
the 22nd Foot ; and in 1737 promoted him to the Colonelcy of
the Royal Regiment. He obtained the rank of Brigadier-
General in 1739, that of Major-General in 1741, and Lieut.-

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

273

General in June, 1745, at which time he was performing the
duty of Quarter-Master General to the army .. the Nether-
lands, commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cum-
berland. In the following year he commanded an expedition
which was originally designed for an attack on the French
settlements in Canada ; but was countermanded, and afterwards
made an attack on the French sea-port L'Orient, and on the
peninsula of Quiberon.* He was subsequently employed on
an embassy to the courts of Vienna and Turin. t On the de-
cease of his brother in 1750, he became entitled to the dignity
of Lord Sinclair, a Scottish peerage ; but he preferred a seat
in the House of Commons, of which he had been many years
a member, and he therefore did not assume the title. He was
promoted to the rank of General in 1761, and died at Dysart
in November, 1762.

SiK Henry Erskine, Bart.,
Appointed 17 th December, 1762.

Sir Henry Erskine was an officer of the Royal Regiment,
in which corps he was appointed Captain on the 12th March,
1743 ; in April, 1746, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-
Colonel, and held the appointment of Deputy Quarter-Master
General to the expedition under Lieut.-General St. Clair,
which made a descent on the French coast, in which service
he was wounded. In June, 1759, he was promoted to the
rank of Major-General ; and in October, 1760, he obtained
the Colonelcy of the 67th regiment, from which he was
removed in 1761 to the 25th Regiment, and in 1762 to the
Colonelcy of the Royals. He was a Member of Parliament,
and Secretary to the Order of the Thistle, and died in August,
1765.

John Marquis of Lorne,

Appointed llth September, 1765.

John Campbell entered the army in the reign of King George

II., and was appointed Lieut-Colonel of the 54th Regiment,

* Vide Historical Record of the Royal Regiment, page 129.
t David Hume, the historian, was secretary to General St. Clair during
the expedition to the coast of France, and the embassy to Vienna and
Turin.

274

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

row the 43rd Light Infantry, on the 25th of April, 1745,
and sen h short time on the Continent. The rebel-
lion breaking out in Scotland in the same year, he quitted
the INetherlands, and joined General Hawley with 1000
Argyleshire highlanders in January, 1746, on the day of the
unfortunate battle of Falkirk. He subsequently joined the
Duke of Cumberland at Perth, and accompanied his Royal
Highness to the north. In November, 1755, he was promoted
to the rank of Colonel, and appointed Aide-de-camp to the
King. In the following month he obtained the Colonelcy of
the 54th Regiment, then first embodied, from which he was
removed in April, 1757, to the 14th Dragoons, and two years
afterwards he was promoted to the rank of Major-General, and
appointed Colonel of the Argyleshire Fencibles. In January,
1 761 , he was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-General. On the
decease of his uncle, Archibald, third Duke of Argyle,.in 1761,
his father, General John Campbell, of the Scots Greys, suc-
ceeded to that title, and Lieut.-General Campbell of the 14th
Dragoons obtained the designation of Marquis op Lorne.
In 1762 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in Scotland,
and in 1765 he obtained the Colonelcy of the RoYAii Regiment
of Foot. He was again appointed Commander-in-Chief in
Scotland in 1767, and in 1770 he succeeded to the title of
Duke op Argyle. In March, 1778, he was promoted to the
rank of General ; four years afterwards he was removed from
the Royals to the 3rd Foot Guards, and he was advanced to
the rank of Field Marshal in 1796. The many virtues for
which his Grace was distinguished occasioned him to be highly
honoured and respected in society ; and he died lamented on
the 24th of May, 1806, in the 83rd year of his age.

Lord Adam Gordon,

Appointed 9th May, 1782.

Lord Adam Gordon, fourth son of Alexander second Duke
of Gordon, was appointed Captain in the 18th Royal Irish
Regiment of Foot on the 12th of December, 1746, and Captain
and Lieut.-Colonel in the Third Foot Guards on the 2nd of
January, 1756. In 1758 he proceeded witli the expedition
under General Bligh against the French coast ; was at the

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

275

capture of Cherbourg, and the descent on the coast of Brittany,
and distinguished himself at the head of his company while
bringing up the rear of the army when attacked by the enemy
during the embarkation at St. Cass. He was promoted to the
ColoneLy of the 66th Regiment in January, 1763, and sub-
sequently held a command in North America. In May, 1772,
he was promoted to the rank of Major- General ; in December,
1775, he was removed to the 26th Cameronians ; and in the
following year he rose to the rank of Lieut.-General. He was
appointed Governor of Tynemouth Castle in 1778; was re-
moved to the Royal Regiment in 1782 ; and appointed Com-
mander-in-Chief in Scotland in 1 789. He was further promoted
to the rank of General in 1793, and in 1796 he was appointed
Governor of Edinburgh Castle. He was several years a Mem-
ber of Parliament, but vacated his seat in 1788. He prided
himself much on being Colonel of the Rotai. Regiment, and
took particular interest in everything connected with the corps.
His decease took place in August, 1801.

His Rotal Highness the Duke of Kent,

Appointed 21st August, 1801.

During the early part of this century the Royal Regiment
of Foot had the honour of being commanded by a Prince who
was distinguished alike for his social and military virtues, —
namely. Field Marshal His Royal Highness Edward
Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the father of Hee Most
Gracious Majesty the Queen Victoria.

Prince Edward,fourth son of His Majesty King George III.,
was born on the 2nd of November, 1767. In the eighteenth
year of his age he proceeded to Germany for the completion
of his studies, and resided successively at Lunenburg and
Hanover, and was appointed, on the 30th of May, 1786,
Colonel of the Hanoverian Guards. During the succeeding
year he removed to Geneva, and while pursuing his studies
at this place, His Majesty conferred upon him the Colonelcy
of the 7th Royal Fusiliers. Early in 1790 he returned to
England ; and after passing a few days with his family he
embarked, in obedience to the King's command, for Gibraltar,
in order to acquire a knowledge of garrison duty under

276

SaCC< 3S[ON O '^lOLONEL^.,

Major-General O'Hara. Wh at Gibn* >)f he cominanded
for several months the 2nd, o Queen's <riraent, until the
arrival of the 7th Royal FusiiiLis, as a rmilorcement to the
garrison, in August, 1790. In 17'Jl he ^^ailed with his regi-
ment from Gibraltar for Quebec ; and while serving in Canada
he was promoted to the rank of Major-General. From North
America he proceeded, during the winter of 1793-4, through
the United States to Boston, where he embarked for the West
Indies, and joined the army under General Sir Charles Grey,
at the commencement of the siege of Fort Bourbon, in the
island of Martinique, and commanded the detached camp at
La Coste, above Point a Petre. During the several attacks His
Royal Highness's conduct excited the admiration of the army :
his life was frequently exposed to the most imminent peril ; and
his aides-de-camp, Captain, afterwards General Sir Frederick,
Wetherall, and Lieutenant Vesey, were wounded near his
Royal Highness's person.* In compliment to the gallantry
evinced by His Royal Highness on this occasion, the lower
fort, called Fort Royal, was subsequently named Fort
Edward.

After the capture of Martinique, the army proceeded to St.
Lucie ; and His Royal Highness commanded the grenadier
brigade, which, in conjunction with the light infantry brigade,
under Major-General Thomas Dundas, formed the storming-
party which carried Morne Fortune. From St. Lucie the army
proceeded to the island of Guadaloupe ; and the flank com-
panies were detached under Prince Edward and Major-General
Dundas, who succeeded in gaining possession of Morne Mars-
cot and Fleur D'Epee, commanding Point k Petre. His con-
duct again excited admiration, and His Royal Highness re-
ceived the thanks of Parliament. After the capture of the
French West India Islandst, His Royal Highness returned to

* When Prince Edward was ordered to storm Morne Tartisson and
Fort Royal, on the 17th of March, 1794, he placed himself at the head
of his brigade of grenadiers, and addressed them as follows : — " Grena-
" diers ! This is St. Patrick's day ; the English will do their duty in com-
" plimenl to the Irish, and the Irish in compliment to the Saint I — Forward,
" Grenadiers !"

t In commemoration of the important captures in the West Indies, at
the period above stated, an anniversary dinner takes place at the United

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

'177

North America, and was shortly afterwards appointed Com-
mander of the Forces in Nova Scotia and its dependencies.
On the 12th of January, 1796, he was promoted to the rank
of Lieut.-General ; and, having returned to England on ac-
count of ill health, he was created, on the 23rd of April, 1799,
Earl of Dublin, in Ireland, and Duke op Kent and Stkath-
EARN, in Great Britain ; in the following month he was
promoted to the rank of General, and appointed Commander-
in-Chief of all the forces in British North America. On
his return to North America his arrival was greeted by all
ranks ; and during his stay in that country he introduced
numerous improvements in the system of conducting public
business. In August, 1800, His Royal Highness returned to
England ; and in the following year he was appointed to the
Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment of Foot. In 1802 he was
appointed Governor of the important fortress of Gibraltar,
whither he immediately proceeded ; and while attempting to
effect the removal of several long-existing abuses and irregu-
larities, His Royal Highness experienced that opposition which
has attended every attempt to remedy evils, when the private
interests and privileges of individuals are concerned. The
Duke of Kent returned in 1803 to England, where he con-
tinued to reside upwards of fifteen years. He was promoted
to the rank of Field-Marshal on the 5th of September, 1805 ;
he was also elected a Knight of the Garter ; constituted a
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order
of the Bath ; and appointed Keeper and Ranger of Hampton
Court Park.

Service Club on the 1 7tli of March (St. Patrick's day), as it was on that
saint's day his late Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, at the head of
his Grenadier brigade, carried Fort Royal by escalade, when both his
aides-de-camp, General Sir Frederick Wetherall, and the late Major-
General Vesey, were severely wounded close to His Royal Highness.
The following officers attended on the 17th March, 1838 :— The Marquis
of Thomond, General Viscount Lorton, Admiral Lord Colville, General
Sir Lowry Cole, G.C.B., General Lord Howden, G.C.13., General Sir
Fitzroy Maclean, Bart., Lieutenant-General Sir H. S. Keating, K.C.B.,
Sir William Pym, K.C.H., and Major-General Reeves, C.B. All these
officers, with the exception of the Admiral, served in the Grenadier bri-
gade, under the orders of their illustrious commander, His Royal High..
ness the Duke of Kent.

278

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

During the period His Royal Highness resided in England
the Royal Regiment of Foot experienced the advantage of
his constant care and anxiety for its interests, and, of his in-
fluence in the kingdom. It was recruited with facility, and he
had the satisfaction of having four battalions on foreign service,
amounting to 5000 men, at the same time in three different
quarters of the globe. The attachment of His Royal Highness
to his corps was evinced on all occasions, and he frequently
expressed himself in terms of exultation at its achievements.
His concern was not, however, limited to his regiment, as
there was scarcely a public charity in the metropolis which did
not derive benefit from his patronage, personal eloquence, and
contributions, and over many he presided. His private acts
of benevolence, in the cases of widows and orphans who were
known to His Royal Highness as deserving objects of relief,
were very numerous, and the instances of his charity and
philanthropy were attested by the grateful acknowledgments
of those who had no claim on His Royal Highness's bounty
beyond the circumstance of a husband, father, or other rela-
tive, having performed faithful service under his command.
The provision made by His Majesty's Government for His
Royal Highness had not been equal to his necessary expendi-
ture to sup irt the dignity of a Prince of the royal blood,
particularly tr the periods he was on foreign service ; and in
1816 economical views induced him to proceed to the Con-
tinent. In May, 1818, he was married at Coburg, according
to the Luthemn rites, to Her Serene Highness Victoria Maria
Louisa, youngest daughter of the late reigning Duke of Saxe-
Coburg. Shortly after the solemnities the royal pair pro-
ceeded to England, and were remarried at Kew Palace on the
11th of 'July, 1818, according to the rites of tlie Church of
England. In a few weeks after this ceremony the Duke re-
turned with his bride to the Continent ; in the succeeding year
they revisited England ; and on the 24th of May, 1819, the
Duchess gave birth, at Kensington Palace, to a daughter,
named Alexandrina Victoria, Her present Majesty.

In a few months after this happy event this amiable Prince,
whose social, private, and public virtues endeared him to his
family and friends, and procured him a place in the affections
of the British people, was attacked by pulmonary inflamma-

SUCCESSION OP COLONELS.

279

tion, produced by accidental cold, and he died at hia tempo-
rary residence at Sidraouth on the 23rd of January, 1820.
The remains of His Royal Highness were removed from Sid-
mouth and deposited in the royal vault at St. George's Chapel,
in Windsor Castle, on the 12th of February, 1820, with the
usual honours and solemnities observed at the funerals of the
members of the Royal Family.

George Mauquis OF IIuNTLY,
Appoi?ited 29th January y 1820.
George Marquis of Huntly, son of Alexander fourth Duke
of Gordon, was appointed to a commission in the 35th Regi-
ment in 1790. Pie soon afterwards raised an independent
company of foot, and was appointed, on the 25th of January,
1791, Captain in the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment. In
July, 1792, he was appointed Captain-Lieutenant and Lieut.-
Colonel in the 3rd Foot Guards ; and, proceeding with his
company to the Netherlands in the following year, he was
engaged with the French at St, Amand and Famars, and in
the siege of Valenciennes ; also in the action before Dunkirk,
and the affair at Lannoy. In the beginning of 1794 his
Lordship raised the 100th (afterwards 92nd) regiment, of
wliich he was appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant ; and he
proceeded with his regiment to Gibraltar, but on his return to
England he was captured by a French privateer. He subse-
quently rejoined his regiment at the island of Corsica, where
he served upwards of a year, and obtained the rank of Colonel
on the 3rd of May, 1796. He was soon afterwards appointed
Brigadier-General in Ireland, where he served during the
rebellion. In 1799 he proceeded with the expedition to Hol-
land, and was actively employed until the 2nd of October,
when he was wounded. His Lordship was promoted in 1 801
to the rank of Major-General ; and in 1803 he was appointed
to the Staff in North Britain, where he served three years.
In Januarj, 1806, he was removed to the Colonelcy of the
42nd Royal Highlanders; and on the 25th of April, 1808,
he was promoted to the rank of Lient.-General. He com-
manded a division of the army in the expedition to Walcheren
in 1809, and was promoted to the rank of General on the 12th
of August, 1819. In the following year he obtained the Colo-

280

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

nelcy of the Royal Regiment, and was constituted a Knight
Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the
Bath about five months afterwards. He succeeded, on the
decease of his father, in 1827, to the dignity of Duke op
Gordon, and was also appointed Governor of Edinburgh
Castle, and Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland ; and in
1834 he was removed from the Royals to the 3rd Foot Guards.
This kind-hearted and gallant nobleman and soldier, who was
distinguished for an uninterrupted succession of acts of kind-
ness and philanthropy., died on the 28th of May, 1836.

Thomas Lord Lynedoch, G.C.B.,
Appointed I2th December, 1834.

Amongst the most distinguished of the able and scientific
soldiers who led the conquering armies of England from the
Tagus to the Seine, was the venerable General Lord Lyne-
doch, whose death took place on the 18th December, 1843,
at his residence in London.

The early life of this eminent man was that of a private
country gentleman, but one whose mind had been cultivated
in no ordinary degree. The classical attainments of his father,
and the many elegant accomplishments of his mother, were
directed to that which formed with them a never ceasing
object, namely, the education of their sou, wlio, owing to the
death of both his elder brothers, had become heir to the
family estate. Tiie family from which he is descended, is a
branch of tliat from which the Dukes of Montrose trace their
origin. His father was Thomas Graham, Esq., of Balgowan,
and his mother was Christiana, fourth daughter of the first
Earl of Hopetoun. He was born at Bald^owan (Perthshire),
in the year 1750. In 1774 Ids father died, and, in the same
year, he married the Hon. Mary Calhcart, one of the three
daugliters of the ninth Lord Catlicart. Thus Mr. Thomas
Graham apparently settled down for life in the quiet, unob-
trusive, happy condition of an independent country gentleman ;
and thus he continued in the enjoyment of great domestic
felicity, surrounded by many CNtimnble and attached friendu,
for a period of nearly 20 yearo. He had by this time attained

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

281

the mature age of forty-two, and to all external seeming was
one of the last men in the world likely to enter upon a
military life.

In the year 1792, however, his domestic happiness was
brought to a termination by tlie death of his wife. The effect
of this melancholy event unsettled the mind of Mr. Graham,
and his case adds one to tlie instances that might be adduced
in which domestic calamities have procured, for the State,
services of the highest order in the field and the cabinet. It
may be said, that this change in his condition and prospects,
imparted almost a romantic character to the tenor of his life.
His grief was such as injured his health, and he was recom-
mended to travel, with a view of alleviating the one, and
restoring the other, by change of scene and variety of objects.
While at Gibraltar in 1793, he was led into military society,
and from that period he commenced to devote himself to the
profession of arms.

Lord Hood was then about to sail for the south of France,
and Mr. Graham had recently been a traveller in that country.
He therefore gladly acceded to his proposition to accompany
him as a volunteer. In the year 1793, he landed with the
British troops at Toulon, and served as extra aide-de-camp to
General Lord Mulgrave, the fatiier to the present ^Marquis of
Normanby, who marked by his particular thanks the gallant
and able services of the elderly gentleman wlio liad thus
volunteered to be liis aide-de-camp : the events of that period
gave Mr. Graliam ample means of indulging his taste for
military life: nor did he neglect any opportunity which
circumstances presented ; he was always foremost in the
attack, and on one occasion, at the iiead of a column, wiien a
private soldier fell, INIr. Graham took up his musket and
supplied his place in the front rank.

On returning to thin country, ho received a letter of service
for raising a regiment in his native country, of which lie was
appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant on the 10th
February, 1794, and which having been since retained on the
establishment of the army, is now the Ninetieth Light
Infantry, or Perth.shire Volnntfcrs. This regiment formed
part of the army under the command of Lord Moira (after-
wards Marquis of Hastings). It passed the summer of 179.3

282

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

at Isle Dieu, whence it proceeded to Gibraltar. On the 22nd
of July, 1795, the rank of Colonel in the Army was conferred
on Lieutenant-Colonel Graham.

He contiimed for some months with his regiment at
Gibraltar, when he obtained permission to join the Austrian
Army. His connexion with that service continued during
the summer of 1796, taking the opportunities which his po-
sition presented him of sending to the British Government
intelligence of the military operations and diplomatic measures
adopted by the commanders and sovereigns of the Continent :
his despatches at this period evinced, in a remarkable degree,
the great talents and characteristic ener-^ of the writer.

During the investmenf of the city of Mantua by the French,
he was shut up there for some time with General Wurmser,
but, impatient of remaining inactive, he succeeded in making
his escape, under cover of night, encountering great difficulty
and imminent hazard.

Early in the year 1797, he returned to England, but in the
following autumn rejoined his regiment at Gibraltar, whence
he proceeded to the attack of Minorca with Sir Charles Stuart,
who bestowed the warmest eulogiums on the skill and valour
displayed by Colonel Graham. Tlie part which he took in
the reduction of Minorca is tims described in a work, published
some years ago, detailing tiiose transactions : —

" After tiie debarkation of the troops innumerable difficulties
opposed themselves to their operations. There is not in any
part of Europe to be found a greater variety of natural obsta-
cles to an invading army than in this island. Reports from
deserters and others, contradictory in their purport, rendered
General Stuart for a short time irresolute what course to
pursue. He, however, resolved to proceed by a forced march
to IMercadel, and by possessing that essential post, to sepTute
tlie enemy's force. To effect this object. Colonel Graliam
was sent with GOO men, and by dint of the utmost effort
arrived at Meroadel, a very few hours after the main body of
the enemy had marched towards Candarello. Here he made
a considerable number of prisoners, seized several <iep6ts of
ammunition, «S;c., anil established his corps in front of the
village. Tlie reduction of Minorca being completed, Colonel
Graham repaired fo Sicily, where lie employed himself in

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

283

the service and for the assistance of its legitimate monarch ;
and such were his exertions, that he received repeated acknow-
ledgments and tributes of gratitude and esteem from the
King and Queen of Naples."

In September, 1798, Colonel Graham, having been ap-
pointed to the local rank of Brigadier-General, commanded
the force, consisting of the 30th and 89th Regiments, and
some corps embodied under his immediate direction, in the
siege of the island of Malta. Brigadier- General Graham,
aware of the prodigious strength of the place, Mith the assistance
of the fleet, resorted to a blockade, when, after a resistance of
nearly two years' duration, a reinforcement of troops under the
command of Major-Generi Henry Pigott was sent to assist
in reducing the garrison, win. ii capitulated on the 5th Septem-
ber, 1800, as announced in the following despatch from Major-
General Pigott, addressed to Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph
Abercromby, then commanding the forces in the Mediter-
ranean.

"Malta, September 5, 1800.

" I have great satisfaction in acquainting you with tlie sur-
render of the fortress of La Valette, with all its dependencies,
after sustaining a blockade of two yeirs. The capitulation
has been signed this day.

" During the short timt you wera here, you must have been
sensible of the great exertions which Brigadier-General Gra-
ham must have made with the limited force he had, previous
to my arrival with a reinforcement : he has ever since con-
tinued these exertions, and I consider that the surrender of the
place has been accelerated by the decision of his conduct in
preventing any more inhabitants from coming out of the for-
tress a short time before I came here. He was sent to nego-
tiate the terms of capitulation with General Vaubois, and I am
much indebted to him for his assistance in that business."

On the completion of this service, General Graham came
home for a few months, and, again anxious for active ser-
vice, proceeded to Egypt, but before his arrival tliat country
had been completely conquered. He returne<i throtjgh Turkey,
making some stay at Constantinople, and during the peace
of Amiens resided for a short time at Paris. Ills active and
I'Mterprisitig spirit had now to endure a period of repose.

284

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

In 1808, however, he proceeded with General Sir John Moore
to Sweden, where he availed himself of that opportunity to
traverse the country in all directions. Shortly afterwards Sir
John Moore was ordered to Spain, and Major General G i aham
served there during the whole campaign of 1808. He was
afterwards appointed to command a division in the expedition
to Walcheren, but having been attacked with fever he was
obliged to come home. In February, 1811, having been pre-
viously raised to the rank of Lieutenant-Geueral, he was ap-
pointed to the command of an expedition to attack the rear of
the French army then blockading Cadiz, an operation which led
to the celebrated battle of Barrosa. The thanks of Parliament
were voted to him and the brave force under his command, and
never were thanks more nobly earned or bestowed in a manner
more honourable to those wlio offered and those who received
them. He was at that ,time a member of the House of
Commons, and in his place in Parliament he received that
mark of a nation's gratitude. In acknowledging the honour
thus conferred on him, Lieutenant- General Graham spoke as
follows :— ■

" I have formerly often heard you, sir, eloquently and impres-
" sively deliver the thanks of the house to officers present,
" and never without an anxious wish that I might one day
" receive this most enviable mark of my country's regard.
" This honest ambition is now fully gratified, and I am more
" than ever bound to try to merit the good opinion of the
" house."

Barrosa was to Lord Lynedoch what Almaraz was to Lord
Hill, and Albuhera to Lord Beresford.

After this series of events, and having been appointed a
Knight of the Bath in February, 1812, Lieut.-General Sir
Thomas Graham joined the army under the Duke of Welling-
ton ; but from ill liealth he was obliged to revisit England for
a short period. Early in 1813, however, he returned to the
Peninsula, and commanded the left wing of the British
army at Vittoria. Mr. Abbott, tlien Speaker of the House
of Commons, (afterwards Lord Colchester,) in alluding to
General Graham's distinguished career at tliis period, stated
that his was " a name never to be mentioned in our military
annals without the strongest expression of respect and admira-

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

285

tion ; " and Mr. Sheridan, speaking of the various excellences,
personal and professional, which adorned his character,
said: —

** I have known him in private life ; and never was there
seated a loftier spirit in a braver heart."

Alluditig to his services in the retreat of the British army
to Corunna, he continued : —

" In the hour of peril, Graham was their best adviser ; in
the hour of disaster, Graham was their surest consolation."

He was second in command at the siege and capture of
Ciudad Rodrigo ; and commanded the army employed in the
siege of St. Sebastian, and also the left wing at the passage
of the Bidassoa ; but soon after, in consequence of ill health,
he was obliged to resign his command to Sir John Hope.
In 1814 he was appointed to the command of the forces em-
ployed in Holland, and on the 3rd of May in the same year
he again received the thanks of Parliament, and was raised to
the peerage by the title of Baron Lynedoch, of Balgowan, in
the county of Perth.

As years advanced, and the infirmities of age began to
accumulate. Lord Lynedoch found the climate of Italy better
calculated to sustain his declining energies than the atmosphere
and temperature of his own country; he, therefore, spent
much time on the continent ; but, on a recent occasion,
so anxious was he. to manifest his sense of loyalty and his
personal attachment to the Queen, that when Her Majesty
visited Scotland, he came home from Switzerland for the
express purpose of paying his duty to Her Majesty in the
metropolis of his native land.

Lord Lynedoch's first commission in the army, that of
Lieut.-Colonel, was dated 10th February, 1794 ; and he
was promoted Colonel, by brevet, on the 22nd July, 1795.
His commissions in the grade of General Officer were, —
Major-General, 25th September, 1803 ; Lieut.-General, 25th
July, 1810; and General, 19th July, 1821. He was suc-
cessi\ ely Colonel of the 90th Regiment, at the head of which
he continued nearly twenty years ; of the 58th ; and of the
14th Hegiment, from which he was removed to the Rotal
Regiment on 12th December, 1834, when the L^uke of
Gordon was appointed to *he Colonelcy of the Scots i^usilier

^--^

286

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

Guards. He was also Governor of Dumbarton Castle in
North Britain. He wore a Cross for his services at Barrosa
(as Commander of the Forces), at Ciudad Rodrigo, Vittoria,
and St. Sebastian (where he commanded a division), and he
was a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath, and of the foreign
Order of St. Michael and St. George.

To advert at greater length to Lord Lynedoch's services as
a soldier would be superfluous. Conspicuous, in action for
his talents, in council for his sagacity, and in private life for
unassuming worth and the most estimable qualities, his cha-
racter displayed a rare union of skill, chivalry, and amiability,
and his widely-spread fame, his long and intimate connexion
with the army, which have been the admiration of the present
generation, will continue to hold a prominent place in British
history. Though hb titles have become extinct, he has left
behind him a name which will be held in honoured remem-
brance while loyalty is considered a virtue, and military
renown a passport to fame.

Sib George Murray, G.C.B.,

Appointed 29th December, 1843.

Sir George Murray was a native of Scotland, and entered
the army at the age of 17, as an Ensign in the 71st Regiment,
on the 12th of March, 1789. He was shortly afterwards
removed to the 34th Regiment, and to the 3rd Foot Guards
in July, 1790, from which time, to the close of the war in 1815,
he was almost constantly employed in the active military service
of his country, in the Netherlands, in the West Indies, in
Egypt, in the north of Europe, and in the peninsula of Spain
and Portugal.

He was firot under fire with the 3rd Guards in Flanders,
and participated in the campaigns of 1793 and the two fol-
lowing years, being present at the affair at St. Amand, sieges
of Tamars and Valenciennes, attack of Lincelles, investment
of Dunkirk, &c. ; and he accompanied the army on its retreat
through Holland and Germany.

In 1795 he served as aide-de-camp to Major-General
A. Campbell on the expedition to Quiberon Bay ; and in the
autumn he proceeded to the West Indies with the force under

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

.287

Sir Ralph Abercromby. Having returned home in ill health,
he continued on the Staff of Major-General Campbell, first in
North Britain, and then in Ireland.

In the year 1799 Lieut.-Colonel Murray was employed in
the Quarter-Master General's depai-tment of the army under
the Duke of York in Holland ; and he was wounded in the
action on the Helder. He subsequently embarked from Cork
for Gibraltar with part of the force destined to be employed
under Sir Ealph Abercromby in the Mediterranean ; and,
being again placed in the Quarter-Master General's depart-
ment, he was ordered to precede the army to Egypt, for the
purpose of making arrangements for the debarkation of the
troops. He was present in the action on the landing of the
force, in the affairs of the 13th and 21st March, 1801, at the
siege of Rosetta, and the investments of Cairo and Alexandria.

From Egypt Lieut.-Colonel Murray proceeded to the West
Indies, where he served for twelve months in the situation of
Adjutant General. ■> <

Beturning home, he was, in the early part of 1803, ap-
pointed one of the Assistant Quarter-Masters General at
head-quarters J in November, 1804, he was appointed Deputy
Quarter-Master General to the army in Ireland.

While holding that commission he was detached, as
Quarter-Master General, with the expedition to Stralsund,
and likewise with the force employed under Lieut.-General
the Earl Cathcart at Copenhagen. He resumed his duties in
Ireland ; and in 1808 was again detached, as Quarter- Master
General, with the force sent to the Baltic under Lieut.-
General Sir John Moore ; and when these troops proceeded
to Portugal, Lieut.-Colonel Murray accompanied that force,
and was engaged at the battle of Vimiera, at Lugo, and
Villa Franca, as well as at Corunna, and his services as a staff
officer were particularly alluded to and commended in Lieut.-
General Hope's despatch containing the account of that
victory.

In the year 1809 Colonel Murray was appointed Quarter-
Master General to the army under Lieut-General Sir Arthur
Wellesley, but returned home in 1811, and in May of the
following year was appointed Quarter-Master General in
Ireland, where he remained until September, 1813, when he

288

SUCCESSION OP COLONELS.

again proceeded to the Peninsula, and served there at the
head of the Quarter-Master General's department until the
close of the war, participating in all the important operations
of that eventful period, and evincing all the talents which
are indispensable in a staff officer with an army employed in
such arduous and trying circumstances : he received a Cross
and five Clasps for his sei vices in the field.

In June, 1814, Major-General Sir George Murray was ap-
pointed Adjutant-General to the arniy in Ireland, a situation
which he vacated in December following for the purpose of
undertaking the governorship of the Canadas ; but on the re-
sumption of hostilities in the spring of 1815, he quitted
America for the purpose of joining his former companions in
arms. He did not, however, succeed in reaching the army
until the allies had entered Paris ; but he continued to serve
on the Continent, with the local rank of Lieut.-General,
until the return of the Army of Occupation to England, in 1818.

In August, 1819, Lieut.-General Sir George Murray was
appointed Governor of the Royal Military College ; in
March, 1824, he was nominated Lieut.-General of the
Ordnance, and in March, 1825, he proceeded to Dublin as
Lieut.-General, commanding the forces in Ireland, where he
remained till the year 1828, and in September, 1829, he re-
ceived the appointment of Governor of Fort George in North
Britain.

Sir George Murray's career was not, however, limited to
his military employments. Having sat in two successive
Parliaments as member for his native county of Perth, he
was offered the seals of office as Secretary of State for the
Colonial Department, which he accepted, and held from
1828 to 1830. His merits and talents, whether in a military
or political point of view, were thus kept in view by the Duke
of Wellington, then Prime Minister. In 1834 and 1835 he
filled the situation of Master-General of the Ordnance, and
in 1841 that appointment was again conferred upon him, and
he continued to hold it till within a short period of his decease,
which occurred on the 28th July, 1846.
■ Sir George Murray was successively Colonel commandant
of a battalion of the 60th Regiment, Colonel of the 72nd
Regiment, and of the 42nd Royal Highlanders, which he held

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

289

upwards of twenty years, when he was removed to the Colo-
nelcy of the First, or Royal Regiment, in December, 1843.
He was a Knight of the Crescent ; and, in addition to the
Orders of Leopold of Belgium, St. Alexander Newski of
Russia, the Red Eagle of Prussia, the Tower and Sword of
Prussia, Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, and St. Henry of
Saxony, Sir George Murray was decorated with the Crosses
of the First Class of the Order of the Bath, and of the Royal
Hanoverian Guelphic Order. ; ,

Sir James Kempt, G.C.B. and G.C.H.,
Appointed Ith August, 1846.