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HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE NINETEENTH,
OR
THE FIRST YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING
REGIMENT OF FOOT;
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1688,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1848.
COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.
ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.
LONDON:
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
30, CHARING-CROSS.
MDCCCXLVIII.
LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,
FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.
GENERAL ORDERS.
_HORSE-GUARDS_,
_1st January, 1836_.
His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing
the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have
distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy,
an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army
shall be published 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 Officers, and the number of Non-Commissioned
Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying
the place and Date of the Action.
---- The Names of those Officers who, in consideration 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-Commissioned Officers, and
Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action.
And,
---- The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been
permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges
or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.
By Command of the Right Honorable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
_Commanding-in-Chief_.
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 honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to
the present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the
"London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public
prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the
time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute 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
Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders,
expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery;
and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their
Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most
highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which
appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies)
for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services
and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in
obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic 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, being undisturbed
by the _presence of war_, which few other countries have escaped,
comparatively 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 the country
derives from the industry and the enterprise 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 the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so
many national benefits are obtained and preserved.
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 maintained their advantages against
superior numbers.
In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, 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 bravery 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 cannot 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.
There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or
are serving, in the Army, an _Esprit de Corps_--an attachment to
everything 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 "firm 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
unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in
war,--victories so complete and surprising, 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 testifying the value and importance
of its services, will be faithfully set forth.
As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will
be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be
completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.
INTRODUCTION
TO
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 contains 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 Cæsar with a Roman army,
on which occasion the undaunted Britons rushed into the sea to
attack the Roman soldiers as they descended from their ships; and,
although their discipline and arms were inferior to those of their
adversaries, yet their fierce and dauntless bearing intimidated the
flower of the Roman troops, including Cæsar's favourite tenth legion.
Their arms consisted of spears, short swords, and other weapons of
rude construction. They had chariots, to the 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 Cæsar's legions: in the course
of time a military system, with discipline 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 Introduction 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 proportion of men appeared
on foot, and, although these were of inferior degree, they proved
stout-hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipendiary troops
were employed, infantry always constituted a considerable portion of
the military force; and this _arme_ has since acquired, in every
quarter of the globe, a celebrity never exceeded by the armies of any
nation at any period.
The weapons carried by the infantry, during the several reigns
succeeding the Conquest, 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 war, in the early part of the fourteenth 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 considered a valuable acquisition to every army,
even as late as the sixteenth century.
During a great part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 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
"men-at-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.
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
formation recommended by an English military writer (Sir John Smithe)
in 1590 was:--the colour in the centre of the company guarded by the
halberdiers; the pikemen 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 musketeers, and the harquebusiers
(whose arms were much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal
proportions on each flank of the company for skirmishing.[1] It
was customary to unite a number of companies into one body, called
a REGIMENT, which frequently amounted to three thousand men: but
each company continued to carry a colour. Numerous 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 (which carried a very heavy ball) without its
being too weighty for the soldier, armour was gradually laid aside by
the infantry in the seventeenth century: bows and arrows also fell
into disuse, and the infantry were reduced to two classes, viz.:
_musketeers_, armed with matchlock muskets, swords, and daggers; and
_pikemen_, 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 bandoliers, each containing 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 forming 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 1678 each company of 100 men usually consisted
of 30 pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with light firelocks.
In this year the King added a company of men armed with hand-grenades
to each of the old British regiments, which was designated the
"grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived as to fit in the
muzzles of the muskets, and bayonets similar to those at present in
use were adopted about twenty years afterwards.
An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1685, 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 (excepting
the fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14 pikemen and 46
musketeers; the 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.[2]
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 ceased, about the same period, to carry hand grenades;
and the regiments were directed to lay aside their third colour: the
corps of 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; during the reign of George II. light
companies were added 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 been used during the Seven
Years' War. Since that period the arms of the infantry soldier have
been limited to the musket and bayonet.
The arms and equipment of the British Troops have seldom differed
materially, 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 Bohemia,
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 infantry, and took John I., King of France, and his
son Philip, prisoners. On the 25th of October, 1415, King Henry
V., with an army of about 13,000 men, although greatly exhausted by
marches, privations, and sickness, defeated, at _Agincourt_, the
Constable of France, at the head of the flower of the French nobility
and an army said to amount to 60,000 men, and gained a complete
victory.
During the seventy years' war between the United Provinces of the
Netherlands and the Spanish monarchy, which commenced in 1578 and
terminated in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the
States-General were celebrated for their unconquerable spirit and
firmness;[3] and in the thirty years' war between the Protestant
Princes and the Emperor of Germany, the British Troops in the
service of Sweden and other states were celebrated for deeds of
heroism.[4] 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
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 evacuate that country; also the
services of the gallant Troops during the arduous campaigns in the
Peninsula, 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 Government. 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, Agincourt, Blenheim, and
Ramilies, continue to animate the Britons of the nineteenth century.
The British Soldier is distinguished for a robust and muscular
frame,--intrepidity which no danger can appal,--unconquerable
spirit and resolution,--patience in fatigue and privation, and
cheerful obedience to his superiors. These qualities,--united with
an excellent system of order and discipline to regulate and give
a skilful direction to the energies and adventurous spirit of the
hero, and a wise selection of officers of superior talent to command,
whose presence inspires confidence,--have been the leading causes
of the splendid victories gained by the British arms.[5] The fame
of the deeds of the past and present generations in the various
battle-fields where the robust sons of Albion have fought and
conquered, surrounds the British arms with a halo of glory; these
achievements will live in the page of history to the end of time.
The records of the several regiments will be found to contain a
detail of facts of an interesting character, connected with the
hardships, sufferings, and gallant exploits of British soldiers in
the various parts of the world, where the calls of their Country and
the commands of their Sovereign have required them to proceed in the
execution of their 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 movements of
this _arme_, as at present practised, while they are adapted to every
species of warfare, and to all probable situations and circumstances
of service, are well suited 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 influence which Great Britain has attained among the nations
of the world have in a great measure been purchased by the valour
of the Army, and to persons who have the welfare of their country
at heart the records of the several regiments cannot fail to prove
interesting.
THE NINETEENTH,
OR
THE FIRST YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING
REGIMENT OF FOOT.
NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
CONTENTS
OF THE
HISTORICAL RECORD.
PAGE
YEAR INTRODUCTION
1688 Formation of the regiment 1
1689 Francis Lutterell appointed to be Colonel 2
---- Names of Officers appointed to Commissions --
---- Regiment marched to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight --
---- Embarked as Marines --
---- Returned to Plymouth --
1690 Embarked for Ireland 3
---- Detachment sent to the West Indies --
1691 Returned to England --
---- Appointment of Thomas Erle to be Colonel, in
succession to Colonel F. Lutterell, deceased --
1692 Embarked for Flanders --
---- Engaged at the battle of Steenkirk --
1693 ---------- the battle of Landen 4
---- Entered winter quarters at Malines --
1694 Engaged in operations in Flanders and Brabant --
---- Returned to Malines --
1695 Engaged in the siege of Namur --
---- Occupied winter quarters at Dendermond 5
1696 Returned to England in consequence of the expectation
of invasion by France, and of the plan for
assassinating King William 5
1697 Re-embarked for Flanders and encamped near Brussels --
---- Treaty of Peace concluded at Ryswick --
---- Returned to England --
1698 Embarked for Ireland --
1702 War recommenced with France --
---- Embarked from Ireland for the Isle of Wight 6
---- Proceeded on an expedition to Cadiz --
---- --------- to the West Indies --
1704 Returned to Ireland 7
1705 Embarked for England --
1709 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Freke to be Colonel,
in succession to Lieut.-General Erle, retired --
1710 Embarked for Flanders --
---- Engaged in forcing the French lines at Pont-à-Vendin --
---- Siege and surrender of Douay --
---- ---------------------- Bethune --
---- ---------------------- Aire and St.-Venant --
---- Entered winter quarters at Ghent --
1711 Encamped at Warde 8
---- Engaged in forcing the French lines at Arleux --
---- Siege and surrender of Bouchain --
1712 Appointment of Richard Sutton to be Colonel,
in succession to Colonel G. Freke, deceased --
---- The Duke of Ormond assumed the command of the army
in Flanders --
---- Suspension of hostilities --
---- British troops retired to Ghent --
1713 Regiment stationed in Flanders --
1714 Returned to England --
1715 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Grove to be Colonel,
in place of Major-General Sutton, retired --
1722 Encamped on Salisbury Plain 9
1723 Marched to Scotland --
1729 Re-appointment of Major-General Sutton to be Colonel
in succession to Colonel Grove, deceased --
---- Embarked for Ireland --
1738 Appointment of Colonel Honorable Charles Howard to
be Colonel, in succession to Lieut.-General Sutton,
deceased --
1739 War declared against Spain --
---- Removed from Ireland to North Britain --
1742 War declared against France and Bavaria --
1744 Embarked for Flanders --
---- Quartered during the winter at Ghent --
1745 Advanced to the relief of Tournay --
---- Engaged at the battle of Fontenoy 10
---- Retreated to Aeth --
1746 Engaged at Roucoux 11
---- Retreated to Maestricht --
1747 Engaged at Val --
1748 Treaty of Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle 12
---- Appointment of Colonel Lord George Beauclerk to be
Colonel, in succession to Major-General Honorable
Charles Howard, removed to the 3rd Dragoon Guards --
1749 Regiment returned to England 13
---- Embarked for Gibraltar --
1751 The colours, clothing, &c., regulated by royal warrant
of King George II. --
1753 Returned to England --
1755 Proceeded to Scotland --
1756 Returned to England --
---- War commenced with France --
---- Regiment augmented to two battalions --
1758 The second battalion formed into a distinct regiment,
and numbered the 66th regiment. --
1759 Encamped at Brentwood 14
1760 Encamped at Barham Down 14
1761 Formed part of an expedition against Belle-Isle on
the coast of Bretagne --
---- Capture of Belle-Isle 15
1762 Returned to England --
---- Treaty of Peace concluded at Fontainebleau --
---- Regiment embarked for Gibraltar --
1768 Appointment of General David Graeme to be Colonel,
in succession to Lord George Beauclerk, deceased --
1771 Regiment returned to England 16
1773 Stationed in Scotland --
1775 Embarked for Ireland --
1781 ------------ America --
1782 Designated the NINETEENTH, or the First Yorkshire
North Riding Regiment --
---- Peace concluded with America --
---- Proceeded to the West Indies --
1783 Removed to Jamaica --
1791 Returned to England --
1793 War commenced with France --
---- Embarked under General the Earl of Moira to aid the
French Royalists in La Vendée and La Loire 17
1794 Returned to England, and landed in Devonshire --
---- Embarked for Ostend --
---- Joined the army under the Duke of York at Malines --
---- Retreated through Holland to Germany 18
---- Engaged with the enemy at Tuyl --
1795 Embarked from Bremen for England --
1796 -------- for the East Indies and landed at Madras --
---- Embarked for Ceylon, and landed at Columbo --
1797 Appointment of General Samuel Hulse in succession
to General Graeme, deceased 18
1799 Five companies embarked for India, and engaged in
the storming and capture of Seringapatam, on the
4th of May, when Tippoo Saib was mortally wounded 19
---- The five companies returned to Ceylon --
1800 Marched from Columbo to Point de Galle --
1801 Embarked for Trincomalee 20
1802 The Island of Ceylon retained by Great Britain on the
conclusion of Peace between France and Holland --
1803 War recommenced with France and Holland --
---- Marched to Candy --
---- Engaged on arduous service against the perfidious
Candians 21
1804 Further engagement with the Candians 22
1805 The Candians again defeated --
---- Embarked for Columbo --
1806 Proceeded to Trincomalee --
---- Marched back to Columbo --
1809 Proceeded to Madras and joined a division of troops
employed against the Rajah of Travancore --
---- Returned to Ceylon, after compelling the Rajah of
Travancore to submit 23
1810 Appointment of General Sir Hew Dalrymple, from 37th
regiment, to the colonelcy, in succession to General
Sir Samuel Hulse, removed to 62nd regiment --
---- Four companies embarked with an expedition against the
Isle of France --
---- Capture of the Isle of France --
---- The four companies returned to Ceylon --
1811 Appointment of General Sir Hilgrove Turner to the
colonelcy, in succession to Sir Hew Dalrymple,
removed to 57th regiment 24
1814 Embarked for Trincomalee 24
1815 The British troops advanced against the King of Candy --
---- The King of Candy brought prisoner to the British camp 25
---- The Malbar dynasty deposed, and the provinces of Candy
united to the dominions of the British Crown --
1816 Remained at Trincomalee --
1818 Returned to Columbo --
---- Marched to Candy to suppress a rebellion of several
native chiefs 26
---- Returned to Columbo, and marched to Point de Galle --
1820 Embarked for England --
1821 ------------ Ireland --
1826 Formed into six service and four depôt companies --
---- Embarked for the West Indies --
1830 Depôt companies embarked from Cork for England --
1836 Service companies returned from the West Indies to
Ireland 27
---- Joined by the depôt companies from England --
1839 Embarked from Dublin for Bristol --
1840 Returned to Ireland --
---- Formed into six service and four depôt companies --
---- Service companies embarked for Malta --
1841 Depôt companies embarked from Ireland for England --
1843 Appointment of General Sir W. M. Peacocke to be
Colonel, in succession to General Sir Hilgrove
Turner, deceased --
---- Service companies embarked for the Ionian Islands --
1843 Depôt companies embarked for Jersey 27
1845 Depôt companies embarked for Ireland 28
---- Service companies embarked from Corfu for the
West Indies --
1848 Service companies embarked from Barbadoes for Canada --
The Conclusion 29
APPENDIX.
List of Battles, Sieges, &c. in the Netherlands from
1689 to 1697 31
List of Battles, Sieges, &c. in the Netherlands and
Germany from 1702 to 1712 32
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF THE
NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
YEAR PAGE
1689 Francis Lutterell 33
1691 Thomas Erle --
1709 George Freke 34
1712 Richard Sutton 35
1715 George Grove --
1729 Richard Sutton _re-appointed_ 36
1738 _Hon._ Charles Howard --
1748 Lord George Beauclerk --
1768 David Graeme 37
1797 Sir Samuel Hulse, G.C.H. --
1810 Sir Hew Dalrymple, Bart. 39
1811 Sir T. Hilgrove Turner --
1843 Sir Warren M. Peacocke 40
PLATES.
Colours of the Regiment to face 1
Costume of the Regiment " 30
[Illustration: NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
QUEEN'S COLOR.]
[Illustration: REGIMENTAL COLOR.
FOR CANNON'S MILITARY RECORDS
_Madeley lith. 3 Wellington S^t. Strand_]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE NINETEENTH,
OR
THE FIRST YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING
REGIMENT OF FOOT.
[Sidenote: 1688]
The advances made by King James II. towards the subversion of the
laws, and the established religion of the kingdom, occasioned the
Prince of Orange to be invited to come to England with an army, to
enable the nobility and other persons of property and influence to
assert the inviolable character of the Constitution in parliament.
The Prince landed in Devonshire on the 5th of November, 1688, and a
number of persons afterwards joining his standard, they were formed
into companies of musketeers and pikemen, and three regiments were
embodied under Colonels Lord Mordaunt, Sir John Guise, and Sir Robert
Peyton: troops of cavalry and companies of infantry were also raised,
in the interest of the Prince of Orange, in various parts of England.
[Sidenote: 1689]
The flight of King James to France was followed by the elevation of
the Prince and Princess of Orange to the throne, in February, 1689.
At this period several of the companies of pikemen and musketeers
raised when the Prince of Orange landed, were incorporated into
a regiment under Colonel Francis Lutterell, whose commission, as
colonel of this regiment, was dated the 28th of February, 1689; but
the regiment, being formed of companies raised about the middle of
November, 1688, was permitted to take rank from that date, and now
bears the title of the "NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT."
The following officers were appointed to commissions in the
regiment:--
_Colonel_, Francis Lutterell.
_Lieutenant-Colonel_, William Norcott. _Major_, Henry Hawley.
_Captains._ _Lieutenants._ _Ensigns._
Baldwin Mallett. R. Williams (_Capt._). Joseph Lewis.
Alexander Lutterell. John Dodington. Abraham Hancock.
Edmund Bowyer.[6] N. Simmons. Capell Stocker.
William Coward.[6] John Redmore. Thomas Adams.
Joseph Pigman.[6] William Willoughby. -- Sidenham.
Hopton Wynham. R. Wyndham. -- Ensate.
Robert Carey.[6] George Prater. Robert Norcott.
Walter Vincent.[6] William Webb. Thomas Robinson.
Charles Burlington.[6] John Calmady. Thomas Freke.
-- Simmons.[6] John West. Thomas Resdin.
Hugh Mallett. -- Gregor.
Lawrence Coward.
_Adjutant_, John West. _Surgeon_, T. Allen.
_Quarter-Master_, Arthur Balsam.
In the summer of this year the regiment marched to Portsmouth; it was
afterwards stationed in the Isle of Wight, and in September embarked
on board the fleet to serve as marines; but landed at Plymouth in the
winter.
[Sidenote: 1690]
The authority of King William being resisted in Ireland, an army was
sent to that country under Marshal Duke Schomberg, and in March,
1690, the NINETEENTH received orders to send five hundred and twenty
men to Ireland, to replace the losses sustained by many regiments
at the unhealthy camp of Dundalk. The regiment afterwards sent a
detachment to the West Indies, where nearly all the men died. The
regiment also sustained the loss of its colonel, who died this year.
[Sidenote: 1691]
In 1691 the regiment was stationed in England recruiting, and the
colonelcy was conferred on Colonel Thomas Erle, from a regiment which
was raised in March, 1689, and disbanded after the treaty of Ryswick
in 1697.
[Sidenote: 1692]
Having recruited its ranks and attained a state of efficiency, the
regiment embarked for Flanders in the spring of 1692, and joined the
confederate army, commanded by the British monarch in person, whose
efforts were directed to arrest the progress of aggression pursued by
Louis XIV.;--it served the campaign of this year against the French
under Marshal Luxemburg.
At the battle of _Steenkirk_, on the 3rd of August, the regiment was
in the main body of the allied army, and the advance-guard being
repulsed before the supporting columns arrived at the field of
battle, King William ordered a retreat. Colonel ERLE's regiment was
one of the corps which did not sustain any loss.
[Sidenote: 1693]
The NINETEENTH regiment was one of the corps assembled at Parck-camp,
near Louvain, in May, 1693; and by taking possession of this
post, King William defeated the designs of the French monarch on
Brabant. The fourteenth, sixteenth, NINETEENTH, and two newly-raised
regiments were formed in brigade under Brigadier-General Erle. This
brigade was in position at _Landen_, on the 29th of July, when the
confederate army was attacked by the superior numbers of the enemy.
Brigadier-General Erle was ill of a fever, but hearing that an action
was likely to take place, he quitted his bed, and was wounded at the
head of his brigade. The French having, by their numerical strength,
forced the position, the confederate army retreated. Both armies
sustained severe loss, and the enemy derived little advantage from
the victory, beyond an opportunity to besiege Charleroi, which was
captured in the autumn.
The NINETEENTH regiment passed the winter in quarters at Malines.
[Sidenote: 1694]
In the beginning of May, 1694, the regiment quitted its quarters,
and pitched its tents near the cloister of Terbanck; it took part
in the operations of the campaign, and performed many long marches
in Flanders and Brabant, and in the autumn returned to the pleasant
town of Malines, where it passed another winter in garrison, with the
third and fourth regiments of foot.
[Sidenote: 1695]
Early in the spring of 1695 the regiment marched to the vicinity of
Ghent, and was encamped near Marykirk until the army took the field.
King William undertook the siege of the strong fortress of _Namur_,
and the NINETEENTH formed part of the covering army under the Prince
of Vaudemont, who acquired great reputation for the skilful retreat
he effected in the presence of a French army, of very superior
numbers, under Marshal Villeroy. After taking part in covering
this retreat, the regiment was employed in several operations for
the protection of the maritime and other towns of Flanders, and to
cover the troops carrying on the siege of Namur, which fortress was
captured by the troops under King William, and that event terminated
the campaign. The NINETEENTH regiment passed the winter at Dendermond.
[Sidenote: 1696]
Finding the progress of his arms arrested, and the fortune of war in
favour of the confederates, the French monarch contemplated detaching
England from the alliance against his interests, by replacing King
James on the throne, for which purpose preparations were made
for invading England, and a conspiracy was formed in London for
assassinating King William. In consequence of the preparations in
France, the NINETEENTH, and a number of other regiments, were ordered
to return to England. The regiment embarked from Sas-van-Ghent
in March, 1696, and sailed to Gravesend, where it landed. The
assassination plot was discovered, and the designs of the French
monarch frustrated.
[Sidenote: 1697]
The regiment remained in England until the summer of 1697, when
it again proceeded to Flanders, and joined the army encamped near
Brussels on the 14th of July; two days afterwards it was reviewed by
King William. The treaty of Ryswick was signed in September, and the
British monarch saw his efforts for the preservation of liberty, and
the balance of power in Europe, attended with success. The regiment
returned to England in November.
[Sidenote: 1698]
[Sidenote: 1702]
In 1698 the NINETEENTH regiment was stationed in Ireland, where
it remained until 1702, when the succession of the Duke of Anjou,
grandson of Louis XIV., to the throne of Spain had produced another
war.
Early in 1702 an expedition against the port and city of _Cadiz_ was
resolved upon by the British government, and the NINETEENTH regiment
was withdrawn from Ireland to take part in the enterprise; the
fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Rooke, and the land forces
were placed under the orders of the Duke of Ormond. The regiment
proceeded to the Isle of Wight, where it embarked on board the
fleet,[7] which sailed for Cadiz, and a landing was effected between
Rota and Fort St. Catherine in the middle of August. Fort St. Mary's
was taken possession of, and some advantages were gained; but the
expedition proved of insufficient force for the reduction of Cadiz,
and the troops re-embarked. The NINETEENTH regiment was detached from
Cadiz to the West Indies with the squadron of the royal navy under
Commander Walker.
[Sidenote: 1703]
A powerful armament was prepared for the attack of the French and
Spanish settlements in the West Indies in 1703, but this enterprise
was afterwards laid aside. An unsuccessful attempt was made on
Guadaloupe in March of this year, by a few men under Colonel
Codrington.
[Sidenote: 1704]
[Sidenote: 1705]
Having lost a number of men from the effects of the climate, the
regiment was withdrawn from the West Indies, and was stationed in
Ireland in 1704; in 1705 it embarked for England, and landed near
Chester in October.
[Sidenote: 1706]
The regiment was employed on home service during the years 1706,
1707, 1708, and 1709.
[Sidenote: 1709]
In May, 1709, Lieut.-General Erle disposed of the colonelcy of the
regiment to the lieut.-colonel, George Freke.
[Sidenote: 1710]
Early in the spring of 1710 the regiment embarked for Flanders, to
join the allied army in that country under the celebrated JOHN,
DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH; it advanced up the country to the vicinity of
Tournay, and afterwards took part in the movements by which the
French lines were forced at _Pont-à-Vendin_.
When the siege of _Douay_ was undertaken, the NINETEENTH regiment was
one of the corps selected to take part in this service. Some severe
fighting took place in carrying on the attacks, and in storming the
outworks, in which the regiment was engaged, and sustained severe
loss. On the 25th of June the garrison beat a parley, and afterwards
surrendered the fortress.
The NINETEENTH regiment had three serjeants and ninety-one rank and
file killed at the siege of Douay; and one major, two captains, eight
subalterns, ten serjeants, and one hundred and ninety-seven rank and
file wounded.
The regiment formed part of the covering army during the siege of
_Bethune_, which fortress surrendered on the 29th of August. _Aire_
and _St.-Venant_ were afterwards invested and taken, and the regiment
marched to Ghent, where it passed the winter.
[Sidenote: 1711]
Advancing up the country in the spring of 1711, the regiment encamped
a short time at Warde, where it was joined by a fine body of recruits
from England. It took part in the operations by which the enemy's
fortified lines were passed at _Arleux_ on the 5th of August, and
it was afterwards engaged in the siege of _Bouchain_, which proved
a difficult service; but every obstacle was overcome by the skill
and perseverance of the generals and engineers, and the innate
bravery of the soldiers, who, on more than one occasion, fought up to
their waists in water. This fortress was surrendered on the 13th of
September.
[Sidenote: 1712]
In the spring of 1712 the regiment quitted its winter quarters.
Before the army was assembled, Colonel Freke was succeeded in the
colonelcy of the regiment by Major-General Richard Sutton, from a
newly-raised corps, which was afterwards disbanded.
The army in Flanders was this year commanded by the Duke of Ormond,
and advanced to the frontiers of France; but negotiations for a
treaty of peace having commenced, a suspension of hostilities was
proclaimed, and the British troops retired to the vicinity of Ghent.
[Sidenote: 1713]
During the year 1713 the regiment was stationed in Flanders.
[Sidenote: 1714]
The decease of Queen Anne took place on the 1st of August, 1714, when
the regiment was ordered to return to England, and it was placed in
garrison at Tilbury fort, Landguard fort, and Hull, with a detachment
at Sheerness.
[Sidenote: 1715]
In August, 1715, the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on
Lieut.-Colonel Grove, from the foot guards, in succession to
Major-General Sutton, who withdrew from active service.
[Sidenote: 1716]
[Sidenote: 1722]
[Sidenote: 1723]
The regiment was employed on home service many years; in 1722 it was
encamped on Salisbury Plain, where it was reviewed by King George I.;
and in the following year it marched to Scotland.
[Sidenote: 1727]
In 1727 the regiment was held in readiness to assist the Dutch in the
expected war with the Emperor of Germany; but no embarkation took
place.
[Sidenote: 1729]
Colonel Grove died on the 13th of October, 1729, and King George II.
restored Major-General Sutton to the colonelcy of the regiment.
At this period the regiment was removed to Ireland.
[Sidenote: 1735]
[Sidenote: 1738]
Major-General Sutton was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general
in 1735, and died in 1738, when the colonelcy of the regiment was
conferred on Colonel the Honorable Charles Howard, from captain and
lieut.-colonel in the foot guards.
[Sidenote: 1739]
In 1739 war was proclaimed against Spain, and the NINETEENTH regiment
was withdrawn from Ireland, and stationed in North Britain.
[Sidenote: 1742]
[Sidenote: 1744]
A British army proceeded to Flanders in 1742, to support the
interests of the House of Austria against France and Bavaria; but
the NINETEENTH were employed on home service until 1744, when they
proceeded to Flanders, and served the campaign of that year with the
army under Field-Marshal Wade. The regiment was encamped some time on
the banks of the Scheldt, and afterwards advanced into the territory
subject to France, as far as Lisle; but no serious fighting took
place, and it passed the winter in quarters at Ghent.
[Sidenote: 1745]
The regiment was called from its winter quarters in April, 1745, and
advanced with the army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of
Cumberland, to the relief of Tournay, which fortress was besieged by
a numerous French force, and on the approach of the allied army the
enemy took up a formidable position near the village of _Fontenoy_.
This position was attacked on the 11th of May, and the gallant
bearing of the British infantry was conspicuous; by a determined
charge they broke the French lines and overthrew all opposition at
their point of attack; but the Dutch failed in their attempts to
capture the village of Fontenoy, and the English were exposed to a
destructive flank fire which forced them to retreat. The attack was
repeated, and British valour and intrepidity triumphed once more;
but the Dutch again failed, and the English battalions, which had
broken the enemy's lines, were exposed to so destructive a fire from
batteries on both flanks, that a retreat was ordered, and the army
withdrew from the field of battle to Aeth.
The regiment had Lieutenant Le Grand, Ensign Gibson, and seventeen
private soldiers killed; Major Petitot, Captains Cochran and Douglas,
Lieutenant Coote, Ensigns Cheape, Martin, and Potterfield, one
serjeant, and sixty-nine rank and file wounded; thirteen men missing.
The subsequent operations of the campaign were of a defensive
character, and the allied army was so much inferior in numbers to the
enemy, that it was unable to prevent the capture of several fortified
towns in the Austrian Netherlands.
This year a rebellion broke out in Scotland, and Charles Edward,
eldest son of the Pretender, gained some advantages at the head of
the Highland clans, when several corps were ordered to return to
England, but the NINETEENTH remained in the Netherlands.
[Sidenote: 1746]
Taking the field in the spring of 1746, the regiment was employed in
various services; but the allied army, being very inferior in numbers
to the force which the French monarch employed in the Netherlands,
was necessarily restricted in its operations.
On the 11th of October the allied army was formed on the beautiful
plain of Liege, and the NINETEENTH regiment was stationed, with two
other corps, in the village of _Roucoux_. About noon the superior
numbers of the enemy under Marshal Saxe were seen advancing, and
about three in the afternoon a numerous body of infantry and
artillery attacked three villages, which were occupied by eight
battalions of British, Dutch, and Hessians. The disparity of numbers
was about one to six, yet the allies stood their ground gallantly,
and repulsed the leading brigades of the enemy. New combatants
rushed forward, and the allies were again victorious; but they were
eventually forced to quit the villages. After defending their post
with great bravery for some time, the NINETEENTH, and other corps in
Roucoux, quitted the village, and took post in a hollow way, where
they defended themselves until a retreat was ordered, when the army
withdrew to the vicinity of Maestricht.