IV.
1825–1856.—SIKH WAR—SOUTH AFRICA.
[Sidenote: 1830, 60th THE DUKE OF YORK’S OWN RIFLE CORPS becomes 60th
THE KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS.]
In 1827 took place the death of Field-Marshal H.R.H. the Duke of
York,[25] who had been Colonel-in-Chief for thirty years, and had given
his name to the Regiment. He was succeeded by his brother, Field-Marshal
H.R.H. Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.[26] In 1830 the title of the
Regiment, by order of William IV, was again changed to The King’s Royal
Rifle Corps.
A long peace followed the great wars of the Napoleonic period, and from
Toulouse in 1814 until the Sikh War in 1848 the Regiment was not engaged
on active service. But from 1848 onwards the British Army entered upon a
famous series of campaigns, in nearly all of which the Regiment has
taken a memorable share. Its success may be said to be largely due to
the excellence and the example of the 1st Battalion, which—directly
inheriting the Peninsular honours and traditions of the 5th Battalion as
Riflemen—had maintained, in spite of the long peace, its reputation for
smartness, discipline, and warlike efficiency.
[Illustration:
MAP II
SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND SOUTH-WEST FRANCE.
Illustrating the area of Operations referred to in Part I, Section 3.
_Stanford’s Geog^l. Estab^t., London._
]
Fortunate at this period in many officers of great experience, the
Regiment owed much to Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Henry Richard
Molyneux,[27] who commanded the 1st Battalion (then quartered in the
Mediterranean) from 1836 until his untimely death in 1841. The high
efficiency of the Battalion and its strong _esprit de corps_ when it
sailed for India in 1845, under his successor Lieutenant-Colonel the
Hon. Henry Dundas,[28] were largely due to his strong personality and to
his powers of organisation. Dundas commanded the Battalion from 1845 to
1854 with conspicuous success. In the Sikh War, both as Colonel and as
Brigadier-General, he showed the highest qualities of leadership and
courage, and throughout the nine years of his command the Battalion held
a foremost place in the British Army in India.
[Sidenote: 1848–49, PUNJAUB.]
[Sidenote: Jan. 22nd, 1849, MOOLTAN.]
It was thus under these favourable circumstances that the Regiment began
its career in the East, and under Dundas played a prominent part in the
Sikh War. Employed in covering the advance, it rendered conspicuous
service at the storming of the city of MOOLTAN. “Nothing could exceed
the gallantry and discipline of the 60th Royal Rifles” are the words of
the _Gazette_, 7th of March, 1849.
[Sidenote: Feb. 21st, 1849, GOOJERAT.]
Subsequently, by forced marches, the Battalion joined the army under
Lord Gough[29] in time to share in the final battle of GOOJERAT, a
victory over a combined force of 60,000 Sikhs and Afghans. The result of
this triumph of British arms was the annexation of the Punjaub, and the
retreat of the Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan with the Afghan army beyond the
Khyber Pass.
Upon the 8th of July, 1850, H.R.H. Adolphus Duke of Cambridge died, and
was succeeded as Colonel-in-Chief by Field-Marshal H.R.H. Prince Albert,
Consort of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria.
[Sidenote: 1851–2–3, SOUTH AFRICA.]
In 1851 the 2nd Battalion, which had been on home service since 1847,
embarked for South Africa, and was employed in the Kaffir War during
that and the two following years. It took part under Lieut.-Colonel
Nesbitt in many actions with the enemy, including the passage of the
Great Kei, the operations for clearing the Water Kloof, and the attack
on the Iron Mountain.
[Sidenote: Feb. 26th, 1852, WRECK OF THE ‘BIRKENHEAD.’]
A detachment of the 2nd Battalion (forty-one all ranks, with seven women
and thirteen children) formed a portion of the troops on board the
ill-fated troopship _Birkenhead_, which, on the night of February the
26th, 1852, was wrecked on the South African coast under conditions
which evoked from the troops on board a memorable display of steady
discipline and serene courage in the face of danger. The men fell in and
stood calmly on parade awaiting death while the ship was sinking
“without a cry or murmur among them.” The whole ship’s company with few
exceptions perished.
On September the 23rd, 1852, General Viscount Beresford became
Colonel-in-Chief, _vice_ H.R.H. Prince Albert, and was upon his death on
the 28th of January, 1854, succeeded by Field-Marshal Viscount Gough.
In 1855 and 1857 the 3rd and 4th Battalions were raised at Dublin and at
Winchester respectively. Thus in 1857 the Regiment again consisted of
four Battalions.
-----
Footnote 25:
His Royal Highness’s sword and belts were presented to the officers of
the 1st Battalion by H.M. King George IV, and are now in the Officers’
Mess.
Footnote 26:
The seventh son of George III and the Father of the late Field-Marshal
H.R.H. George Duke of Cambridge, Colonel-in-Chief, 1869–1904.
Footnote 27:
3rd son of 2nd Earl of Sefton. Born 27th August, 1800; died 1841.
Footnote 28:
Afterwards General Viscount Melville, G.C.B., Colonel Commandant
1864–1875.
Footnote 29:
Afterwards Field-Marshal Viscount Gough, K.P., G.C.B.,
Colonel-in-Chief 1854–1869.
V.
1857–1860.—DELHI. ROHILKUND. PEKIN.
The outbreak of the Great Mutiny of the Native Army in India began on
the 10th of May, 1857, at Meerut, where the 1st Battalion was at that
time quartered under the command of Lieut.-Colonel John Jones.[30] The
Battalion at the moment was mustering for evening church parade. On
hearing the news it immediately fell in, and Captain Muter,[31] the
senior officer present, with great promptitude instantly despatched a
company to secure the Treasury. The Battalion thereupon marched towards
the city, when being joined by the 6th Carabiniers and a Battery of
Horse Artillery (all the European troops available), it proceeded to
occupy the lines of the Native troops, thus effectually preventing the
mutineers from establishing themselves in the city, so that they were
forced forthwith to retreat towards Delhi. The story is told that while
hurrying to the native lines the Battalion came upon the body of a lady
lying dead and mutilated by the roadside. This lady was well known both
to the officers and men for her devotion and care for the women and
children of the Battalion, and the men as they passed—exasperated at the
sight—raised their rifles in the air and swore to avenge her death. It
is not too much to say that the Battalion, and their leader known later
as “Jones the Avenger,” made good their oath.
[Sidenote: May 30th and 31st, 1857, HINDUN.]
Marching in pursuit, under _Brigadier Archdale Wilson_, the Meerut
troops fought two successful actions upon the Hindun River, in which the
1st Battalion took a prominent part, and on the 7th of June it joined
the army under _Major-General Sir Henry Barnard_ at Alighur.
[Sidenote: June 8th to Sept. 20th, 1857, DELHI.]
At one o’clock on the following morning the whole of _Barnard’s_ force
moved against Delhi. On reaching Badlee-ke-Serai it was found that the
mutineers were strongly posted in an entrenched position along the ridge
from the flagstaff to Hindoo Rao’s house, overlooking the cantonments
and city, but after a sharp engagement of about three quarters of an
hour the ridge was cleared of the enemy and occupied by our troops. Thus
began the famous siege of DELHI—a period full of glorious memories to
all Sixtieth Riflemen. From then on to the final assault on the city
(June the 8th to September the 20th) the Battalion was constantly
employed either as outposts near Hindoo Rao’s house, or with the various
columns which were sent forward to drive the mutineers back into the
city, when, emboldened by the strength of overwhelming numbers, they
made repeated assaults upon our position on the ridge. It is recorded
that the Regiment was during this period engaged in twenty-four separate
actions.
On the morning of September the 14th, after six days of bombardment, two
breaches were considered practicable in the walls of the city, one in
the curtain to the right of the Cashmere Gate, the other to the left of
the water bastion. The assault was delivered at three points, namely
upon the two breaches and the Cashmere Gate, while a fourth column
followed as reserve. The whole of the Battalion was split up in
skirmishing order to cover the advance of the assaulting columns, and in
this appropriate and congenial duty they greatly distinguished
themselves.
The assaults were successful, and after an heroic struggle the city was
partially occupied by night-fall. But it was not until September the
20th that the place and its defences were completely in the hands of our
troops, and then only after continuous and desperate hand to hand
fighting in the streets. Nothing could exceed the determined valour of
the Regiment, and every Rifleman will remember with justifiable pride
and pleasure that, having joined the army before Delhi, its services
were officially pronounced to be “preeminent in the memorable siege and
capture.”[32]
“All behaved nobly,” writes Lord Canning, the Governor-General of India
in his final despatch upon the siege and capture of Delhi (dated
November the 9th, 1857), “but I may be permitted to allude somewhat to
those Corps most constantly engaged from the beginning, the 60th Rifles,
the Sirmoor Battalion,[33] and the Guides. Probably not one day
throughout the siege passed without a casualty in one of these Corps;
placed in the very front of our position, they were ever under fire.
Their courage, their high qualifications as skirmishers, their
cheerfulness, their steadiness were beyond commendation. Their losses in
action show the nature of the service. The Rifles commenced with 440 of
all ranks; a few days before the storm they received a reinforcement of
nearly 200 men; their total casualties were 389.”
We may conclude this page of the Regiment’s history by citing the
judgment of the General under whom they served, who described the
Battalion as “a glorious example both in its daring gallantry and its
perfect discipline.”[34]
[Sidenote: 1858, ROHILKUND OUDH.]
In the following year the 1st Battalion formed part of the Roorkee Field
Force under Jones, now promoted Brigadier-General, which operated
against the rebels from the 11th of April until the 24th of May, 1858.
During this short campaign Jones’ force swept through the whole Province
of Rohilkund from north to south; fought one battle (Nugeenah, 21st of
April); defeated the enemy in three actions (Bagawalla, 17th of April,
Dojura, and Bareilly, 3rd of May); assaulted and captured one city
(Bareilly, 6th of May); and relieved two others (Moradabad, 18th of
April, and Shahjehanpore, 11th of May); destroyed two forts (Bunnai,
24th of May, and Mahomdee, 25th of May); and took thirty-seven guns. It
was said of the gallant Jones that “he never assaulted a position that
he did not take, nor attacked a gun that he did not capture.”
The 1st Battalion again took part in operations in Oudh, under Brigadier
_Sir Thomas Seaton_ and _Brigadier Colin Troup_, from the 8th of October
until the 31st of December, 1858. Four successful actions were fought
with the rebels (Bunkagaon, 8th of October; Pusgaon, 19th of October;
Rissoolpur, 25th of October; and Baragoan, 23rd of November); and the
Fort of Mittowlis captured (10th of November); thence the Battalion
formed part of a flying column, which cleared the rebels out of the
Khyreeghur jungles.
A wing of the 2nd Battalion, which had been ordered from the Cape, also
took part in the final stages of the operations against the mutineers.
In March, 1860, the 1st Battalion embarked for England, and in a General
Order Lord Canning, Governor-General of India, bore further testimony to
the services of the Battalion in eloquent and unprecedented terms,
concluding with the following memorable tribute:
“It is not more by the valour of its officers and men, conspicuous
as that has been on every occasion, than by the discipline and
excellent conduct of all ranks during the whole of their service in
India, that this Regiment has distinguished itself. The
Governor-General tenders to the Battalion his warmest
acknowledgments for the high example it has set in every respect to
the troops with which it has been associated in quarters as well as
in the field; and he assures its officers and men that the
estimation in which their services are held by the Government of
India confirms to the full the respect and admiration with which
they are universally regarded.”[35]
[Illustration:
MAP III
NORTH-WEST INDIA & PUNJAUB
Illustrating the area of Operations referred to in Part II, Sections 4
and 5, also Part III, Sections 7 and 9.
_Stanford’s Geog^l. Estab^t. London._
]
The splendid services rendered by the Regiment in the period in its
history above briefly recorded may perhaps be equalled, but can hardly
be surpassed by future generations of Riflemen. The good conduct, sound
discipline, and unflinching courage of the 1st Battalion during its
service in India (1845–1860) will always be regarded by the Regiment as
marking a Golden Age in its history and a landmark in its traditions.
[Sidenote: Aug. 21st, 1860, TAKU FORTS.]
[Sidenote: PEKIN.]
On the 28th of February, 1860, the 2nd Battalion, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer,[36] embarked at Calcutta to join the
Franco-British Expedition to China under _General Sir Hope Grant_. Six
months later the Battalion took a vigorous part in the assault and
capture of the TAKU FORTS on the Peiho River (August the 21st), and
thence marched to and occupied PEKIN on the 13th of September.
In September, 1861, the Battalion returned to England.
-----
Footnote 30:
Afterwards Major-General Sir John Jones, K.C.B.
Footnote 31:
Colonel Dunbar Douglas Muter, who greatly distinguished himself,
obtaining two brevets during the siege and subsequent operations. He
was afterwards a Military Knight of Windsor; and died in 1909.
Footnote 32:
Governor-General’s despatch, _London Gazette_, May 18th, 1860, upon
the departure of the Regiment from India.
Footnote 33:
Now the 2nd King Edward’s Own Gurkha Rifles (the Sirmoor Rifles). It
is stated of this gallant Regiment that, when asked what reward they
would like, they begged for and were granted the red facings of the
60th to be added to their Rifle uniform.
Footnote 34:
Despatch, General Sir Archdale Wilson, 22nd September, 1857.
Footnote 35:
_London Gazette_, May 18th, 1860.
Footnote 36:
Afterwards Colonel and C.B.
VI.
1861–1870.—NORTH AMERICA. RED RIVER.
[Sidenote: 1861, TRENT AFFAIR.]
In 1861 the 4th Battalion was hurriedly despatched to Canada at the time
of the Trent affair, when war with the Northern States of America seemed
imminent, and Fenian raids were threatened. This Battalion—commanded for
fourteen years (1860–1873) by Lieutenant-Colonel Hawley,[37] an officer
of commanding personality and ability—achieved at this period and later
the highest reputation for its system of light drill and of organisation
then far in advance of the age, a system which has gradually been
adopted by the whole Army. The Regiment, both individually and
collectively, is deeply indebted to Hawley. Sir Redvers Buller[38] and
Lord Grenfell[39] owed their early training to his tuition; and there
are few Riflemen of our generation who have achieved distinction who do
not directly or indirectly owe their success to his inspiration and
teaching, and his influence is still generally acknowledged in the
Regiment to-day.
In 1869 the 4th Battalion returned to England, and was quartered at
Aldershot, where its high state of efficiency was universally
acknowledged.
Upon the death of Lord Gough, on the 3rd of March, 1869, Field-Marshal
H.R.H. George Duke of Cambridge,[40] the Commander-in-Chief of the
British Army, was appointed Colonel-in-Chief.
[Sidenote: 1870, RED RIVER EXPEDITION.]
In 1867 the 1st Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Feilden,[41] was
moved from the Mediterranean to Canada, and on the outbreak of Riel’s
Rebellion in 1870 was selected by _Colonel Wolseley_[42] to take part in
the Red River Expedition. The force, numbering 1200, consisted of two
guns, R.A., the 1st Battalion 60th Rifles, and two specially raised
battalions of Canadian Militia. After a journey of 600 miles by land and
lake, it reached Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior. Leaving Lake
Shebandowah, fifty miles from Lake Superior, on the 16th of July, the
Expedition then traversed in boats 600 miles of a region of rivers,
lakes, and forest, practically unexplored and trackless, and after six
weeks of incessant toil, on the 24th of August reached Fort Garry (now
the city of Winnipeg), the headquarters of the rebel forces under Louis
Riel. _Wolseley_, by a brilliant _coup de main_, pushed on with the 1st
Battalion in fifty boats, and took Riel and his followers completely by
surprise. Hurriedly the insurgent leader abandoned Fort Garry, and the
rebellion collapsed.
The direct effect of this achievement, in which the Regiment was
fortunate enough to take so prominent and decisive a share, has been the
unification of the Dominion of Canada and the opening up to a great and
prosperous future of the whole wide region of the great North-west,
destined to become one of the most populous and most important portions
of the Empire.
Thus for a second time has the 1st Battalion of the Regiment been
privileged to play a direct and almost single-handed part in the
addition of vast regions to the British Crown in North America: first,
in 1758–1764, under Bouquet, in conquering those territories west of the
Alleghany Mountains, now some of the most prosperous States of the
American Union; and, second, in 1870, under _Wolseley_, in crushing a
rebellion, the overthrow of which has enabled the prairies of the
North-west Territories of Canada to be welded into what are now among
the most flourishing Provinces of the Dominion.
-----
Footnote 37:
Afterwards Lieut.-General Hawley, C.B., Colonel Commandant, 1890–98,
_vide_ Biographical Sketch, _Regimental Chronicle_, 1909.
Footnote 38:
Afterwards General Right Hon. Sir Redvers Buller, P.C., V.C., G.C.B.,
G.C.M.G., Colonel Commandant, 1895–1908. Born December 7th 1839, died
June 2nd, 1908. His qualities as a distinguished soldier are well
summed up by the inscription upon his Memorial Tomb recently erected
in Winchester Cathedral, “A Great Leader—Beloved by his Men.” _Vide_
Biographical Sketch, _Regimental Chronicle_, 1908, p. 157.
Footnote 39:
Now Field-Marshal Right Hon. F. W. Lord Grenfell, P.C., G.C.B.,
G.C.M.G., Colonel Commandant, 1898. Born April 29th, 1841.
Footnote 40:
H.R.H. George Duke of Cambridge died upon the 17th March, 1904, and
was succeeded as Colonel-in-Chief by General H.R.H. the Prince of
Wales, now His Majesty George V.
Footnote 41:
Afterwards Lieut.-General Feilden, C.M.G., died 1895.
Footnote 42:
Now Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley, K.P., etc.