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[Illustration:
BY COMMAND OF His late Majesty WILLIAM THE IV^{TH}.
_and under the Patronage of_
Her Majesty the Queen.
HISTORICAL RECORDS,
_OF THE_
British Army
_Comprising the_
_History of every Regiment_
_IN HER MAJESTY’S SERVICE_.
_By Richard Cannon Esq^{re}._
_Adjutant-General’s Office, Horse Guards._
London.
_Printed by Authority._]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE THIRTY-NINTH,
OR THE
DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT:
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
In 1702,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
To 1853.
COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.
Illustrated with Plates.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY GEORGE E. EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,
FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE.
PUBLISHED BY PARKER, FURNIVALL, AND PARKER,
MILITARY LIBRARY,
30, CHARING CROSS.
1853.
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, been 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 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 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.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A company of 200 men would appear thus:--
__|
| |
|__|
|
20 20 20 30 2|0 30 20 20 20
|
Harquebuses. Muskets. Halberds. Muskets. Harquebuses.
Archers. Pikes. Pikes. Archers.
The musket carried a ball which weighed 1/10th of a pound; and the
harquebus a ball which weighed 1/25th of a pound.
[2] The 30th, 31st, and 32nd Regiments were formed as Marine corps
in 1702, and were employed as such during the wars in the reign
of Queen Anne. The Marine corps were embarked in the Fleet under
Admiral Sir George Rooke, and were at the taking of Gibraltar, and
in its subsequent defence in 1704; they were afterwards employed at
the siege of Barcelona in 1705.
[3] The brave Sir Roger Williams, in his Discourse on War, printed
in 1590, observes:--“I persuade myself ten thousand of our nation
would beat thirty thousand of theirs (the Spaniards) out of the
field, let them be chosen where they list.” Yet at this time the
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 Buffs.
[4] _Vide_ the Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of
Foot.
[5] “Under the blessing of Divine Providence, His Majesty ascribes
the successes which have attended the exertions of his troops in
Egypt to that determined bravery which is inherent in Britons; but
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
military character, in situations uncommonly arduous, and under
circumstances of peculiar difficulty.”--_General Orders in 1801._
In the General Orders issued by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope
(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
encountered. These have all been surmounted by the conduct of the
troops themselves: and the enemy has been taught, that whatever
advantages of position or of numbers he may possess, there 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 victory, when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any
human means.”
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE THIRTY-NINTH,
OR THE
DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT:
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
In 1702,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
To 1853.
COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.
Illustrated with Plates.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY GEORGE E. EYRE AND WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,
FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE.
PUBLISHED BY PARKER, FURNIVALL, AND PARKER,
MILITARY LIBRARY,
30, CHARING CROSS.
1853.
ERRATA.
Page 86, line 30,--_for_ “Thansi,” _read_ “Jhansi.”
Do. line 34,--_for_ “Kurnool,” _read_ “Kurnaul.”
Page 94, line 24,--_for_ “Captain Charles Campbell (Major of Brigade)”
_read_ “Captain Marmaduke George Nixon (Major of Brigade).”
THE THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT
BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR AND APPOINTMENTS
THE MOTTO “PRIMUS IN INDIS,”
TO DENOTE ITS HAVING BEEN THE FIRST KING’S REGIMENT
EMPLOYED IN INDIA;
AND THE WORD “PLASSEY,”
IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS GALLANTRY IN THAT
BATTLE, ON THE 23rd OF JUNE, 1757;
THE WORD, “GIBRALTAR,”
WITH THE DEVICE OF THE “CASTLE AND KEY,”
AND THE MOTTO, “MONTIS INSIGNIA CALPÉ,”
IN TESTIMONY OF ITS SERVICES DURING THE DEFENCE OF GIBRALTAR,
FROM 1779 TO 1783;
THE WORDS “ALBUHERA,” “VITTORIA,”
“PYRENEES,” “NIVELLE,” “NIVE,”
“ORTHES,” AND “PENINSULA,”
IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS GALLANTRY IN THE
SEVERAL ACTIONS FOUGHT DURING THE WAR
IN PORTUGAL, SPAIN, AND THE SOUTH
OF FRANCE, FROM 1809 TO 1814;
AND
THE WORD “MAHARAJPORE,”
IN TESTIMONY OF ITS DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT IN
THAT BATTLE, ON THE 29th OF DECEMBER,
1843.
THE
THIRTY-NINTH,
OR
THE DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
CONTENTS
OF THE
HISTORICAL RECORD.
Year. Page
1702. INTRODUCTION 1
” Formation of the regiment 2
” Colonel Richard Coote appointed its Colonel _ib._
” War declared against France and Spain _ib._
1703. Colonel Nicholas Sankey appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
1704. Siege of _Gibraltar_ _ib._
1705. Capture of _Barcelona_ 3
1706. Occupation of Madrid by the Allied Troops _ib._
1707. Battle of _Almanza_ _ib._
” The THIRTY-NINTH and other regiments embarked for
Spain _ib._
1708. Operations of the campaign 4
1709. Action at the passage of the _Caya_ 5
1710. Storming of _Xeres de los Cabaleros_ 6
1711. Passage of the Guadiana at Jerumenha 7
” The regiment engaged in the capture of several towns in
Spain _ib._
1712. Suspension of hostilities proclaimed _ib._
1713. Treaty of Utrecht signed 8
” The regiment proceeded to Gibraltar, and afterwards to
Minorca _ib._
1714 }
to } Stationed at Minorca _ib._
1719. }
” Brigadier-General Thomas Ferrers appointed Colonel of
the regiment _ib._
” Embarked for Ireland _ib._
1720 }
and } Stationed in Ireland 8
1721. }
1722. Colonel William Newton appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
1723 }
to } The regiment remained in Ireland 9
1725. }
1726. _Gibraltar_ besieged by the Spaniards _ib._
” The regiment embarked for that fortress _ib._
1727. Successful defence made by the garrison of _Gibraltar_ 10
1729. Peace concluded between Great Britain, France, and
Spain _ib._
” The regiment proceeded from Gibraltar to Jamaica 11
1730. Colonel John Cope appointed Colonel of the regiment _ib._
1732. The regiment returned from Jamaica to Ireland _ib._
” Colonel Thomas Wentworth appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
1733 }
to } The regiment stationed in Ireland _ib._
1736. }
1737. Colonel John Campbell, afterwards Duke of Argyle,
appointed Colonel of the regiment _ib._
1738. Colonel Richard Onslow appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
1739. Lieut.-Colonel Robert Dalway appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
” War declared against Spain _ib._
1740. Lieut.-Colonel Samuel Walter Whitshed appointed Colonel
of the regiment _ib._
1741. War of the Austrian Succession 12
1742. Support rendered by the British to the Queen of
Hungary _ib._
1743. Colonel Edward Richbell appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
” Battle of _Dettingen_ _ib._
1744. The regiment proceeded from Ireland to Great Britain _ib._
” War declared against France _ib._
1745. The regiment employed as Marines _ib._
1746. Arrival of Prince Charles Edward, eldest son of the
Pretender, in Scotland 13
” Battle of _Culloden_ _ib._
” Expedition against the coast of Brittany, of which the
THIRTY-NINTH formed part _ib._
” Affairs near _Port L’Orient_ _ib._
” Return of the expedition to England _ib._
1747 } The regiment again employed as Marines on board the
and } fleet _ib._
1748. }
” Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle concluded 14
1749 }
to } The regiment stationed in Ireland _ib._
1751. }
” Royal Warrant respecting the clothing, standards, and
colours of the army, and for regulating the number
and rank of regiments _ib._
1752. Colonel John Adlercron appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
1754. The regiment proceeded from Ireland to the East Indies _ib._
1755. Stationed at Madras 14
1756. Aspect of affairs in India 15
” Part of the regiment selected to serve in Bengal under
Lieut.-Colonel Robert (afterwards Lord) Clive _ib._
” Defeat of Monickchund, the Governor of Calcutta, near
the Fort of _Budge-Budge_ 16
1757. Advance of the British towards _Calcutta_ _ib._
” Expedition against _Hoogly_ _ib._
” Expedition against _Bandell_ 17
” Action with the Nabob Surajee Dowlah near _Calcutta_ 18
” Treaty of peace concluded with the Nabob 19
” Renewal of hostilities _ib._
” Investment of _Chandernagore_ by the troops under
Lieut.-Colonel Clive _ib._
” Surrender of that place _ib._
” Capture of the fort of _Cutwah_ 20
” Battle of _Plassey_ 21
” The motto “_Primus in Indis_,” and the word “PLASSEY”
conferred by Royal authority on the regiment 23
” Support rendered to the Nabob by Mr. Law, the French
chief at Cossimbuzar _ib._
” Party despatched in pursuit of the French troops 24
” Manner in which the remainder of the regiment left at
Madras had been employed _ib._
” Expedition against _Nelloure_ _ib._
” Relief of _Trichinopoly_ _ib._
” Fortress of _Wandewash_ invested by the British 25
” March of the troops to Conjeveram _ib._
1758. Return of the regiment to Ireland _ib._
1759. Detachment of the regiment employed in Germany _ib._
1760 }
to } The regiment stationed in Ireland 26
1763. }
” Treaty of peace concluded at Paris _ib._
1766. Colonel Robert Boyd appointed Colonel of the regiment _ib._
1767 }
and } The regiment employed in Ireland _ib._
1768. }
1769. Embarked for Gibraltar _ib._
1770 }
to } Formed part of the garrison of that fortress _ib._
1779. }
” War with Spain _ib._
” Siege of _Gibraltar_ 27
1780. Progress of the siege 29
1781. Successful _sortie_ of the garrison 30
1782. Renewed efforts of the enemy 32
” The combined forces of France and Spain defeated 35
1783. Termination of the siege 36
” Conclusion of peace _ib._
” The word “GIBRALTAR,” with the “_Castle and Key_,”
and the motto “_Montis Insignia Calpé_,” conferred
on the THIRTY-NINTH regiment 37
” The THIRTY-NINTH designated the EAST MIDDLESEX
regiment _ib._
” The regiment returned to England 38
1783 }
to } Stationed in South Britain 38
1789. }
” Proceeded to Ireland _ib._
1790 }
to } Stationed in Ireland _ib._
1792. }
1793. War of the French Revolution _ib._
” The regiment embarked for the West Indies _ib._
1794. Expedition against _Martinique_ _ib._
” Capture of _Martinique_, _St. Lucia_, and _Guadeloupe_ 39
” Major-General Nisbett Balfour appointed Colonel of the
regiment _ib._
” Gallant but unsuccessful defence of _Guadeloupe_
against the French 40
” Surrender of the garrison _ib._
” Escape of certain of the officers of the regiment, and
their arrival in Ireland 41
1795. The regiment recruited by drafts from several corps _ib._
” Again embarked for Barbadoes _ib._
1796. Capture of _Demerara_, _Essequibo_, and _Berbice_ _ib._
1796 }
to } The regiment stationed at Demerara 42
1800. }
” Proceeded to Surinam _ib._
1802. Peace of Amiens _ib._
” Evacuation of Surinam 43
” The regiment embarked for Barbadoes _ib._
” Proceeded to Antigua _ib._
1803. Embarked for England _ib._
” Renewal of the war with France _ib._
” A second battalion added to the regiment _ib._
1804. The first battalion stationed on the coast of Sussex 44
” The second battalion embarked for Guernsey _ib._
1805. The first battalion selected for service in the
Mediterranean _ib._
” The flank companies detached to Naples 45
1806. The flank companies proceeded to Sicily _ib._
” The flank companies returned to Malta 46
” The second battalion proceeded to Ireland _ib._
1807. Embarked for England _ib._
” The County title of the regiment changed from EAST
MIDDLESEX to DORSETSHIRE _ib._
1808. The flank companies of the first battalion proceeded
from Malta to Sicily _ib._
” The second battalion embarked for Guernsey _ib._
1809. The flank companies of the first battalion employed in
the capture of the islands of _Ischia_ and _Procida_ 47
” Attempted reduction of the _Castle of Scylla_ _ib._
” The second battalion joined the army in the Peninsula 48
1810. The battalion companies of the first battalion
proceeded from Malta to Sicily 49
” The second battalion present at the battle of _Busaco_ _ib._
” Pursuit of the French towards Santarem _ib._
” Investment of _Badajoz_ 50
” Battle of _Albuhera_ _ib._
1810. Received the Royal Authority to bear the word “ALBUHERA”
on the regimental colour and appointments 51
1811. Affair of _Arroyo dos Molinos_ _ib._
” The first battalion joined the army in the Peninsula 52
” The second battalion transferred all its effective men
to the first battalion _ib._
” Embarkation of the remainder of the second battalion
for England 53
1812. _Badajoz_ again invested _ib._
” Capture of the fortress _ib._
” Advance to Burgos _ib._
1813. Battle of _Vittoria_ 54
” Received the Royal authority to bear the word “VITTORIA”
on the regimental colour and appointments 55
” Actions in the Pyrenees 56
” Received the Royal authority to bear the word “PYRENEES”
on the regimental colour and appointments 57
” France entered by the Pass of _Maya_ _ib._
” Passage of the _Nivelle_ 58
” Received the Royal authority to bear the word “NIVELLE”
on the regimental colour and appointments _ib._
” Passage of the _Nive_ _ib._
” Received the royal authority to bear the word “NIVE” on
the regimental colour and appointments 59
1814. Affair at _Garris_ _ib._
” Gallantry of the first battalion particularly noticed
by the Marquis of Wellington 60
” Battle of _Orthes_ 61
” Received the Royal authority to bear the word “ORTHES”
on the regimental colour and appointments _ib._
” Battle of _Toulouse_ _ib._
” Termination of the Peninsular War 62
” Received the Royal authority to bear the word “PENINSULA”
on the regimental colour and appointments _ib._
” The first battalion proceeded to North America _ib._
” Expedition against the state of New York 63
” Operations on Lake Champlain _ib._
” Part of the first battalion employed as Marines 64
1815. The battalion returned to Chambly _ib._
” Embarked for England _ib._
” Proceeded to Ostend _ib._
” Joined the British army at Paris _ib._
” The second battalion disbanded _ib._
1816 } The regiment formed part of the “Army of Occupation”
to } in France 65
1818. }
” Embarked for Ireland _ib._
1819 }
to } Stationed in Ireland _ib._
1823. }
” Lieut.-General Sir George Airey, K.C.H., appointed
Colonel of the regiment _ib._
1824. The regiment stationed in Ireland 66
1825. Proceeded to Chatham for embarkation, by detachments,
for New South Wales _ib._
1826 }
to } Embarked as guard over convicts proceeding to New 67
1830. } South Wales
1830. Employed in the Bathurst district 68
1831. Presentation of new colours to the regiment 69
” Address of Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Darling on that
occasion 70
1832. Embarkation of the regiment for Madras 72
1833. Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir Robert William
O’Callaghan, K.C.B., appointed Colonel of the
regiment 73
1834. The regiment engaged in active field operations against
the Rajah of Coorg _ib._
” Submission of the Rajah 75
1835. The conduct of Brigadier-General Lindesay, C.B.,
commanding the force employed in that campaign,
honored by the Royal approval 77
” The Royal authority granted for resuming the motto
“_Primus in Indis_,” and the word “PLASSEY;” also the
device of the “_Castle and Key_,” in addition to the
word “GIBRALTAR.” 78
1836. Testimonial presented to Colonel Lindesay on his
departure for England 79
1837. A detachment of the regiment employed in Canara and
Malabar _ib._
” Return of the detachment to Bangalore 80
1838. Complimentary order on the regiment quitting Bangalore _ib._
” Arrived at Bellary 81
1839. Ordered on field service 82
” Advanced to Coodamoor _ib._
” Operations against the Fort of _Kurnool_ 83
” Affair at _Zorapore_, near Kurnool 84
” Return of the regiment to Bellary 85
1840. Arrival at Kamptee _ib._
” Lieut.-General Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson, G.C.B.,
appointed Colonel of the regiment 86
1841. The regiment ordered to march to Cawnpore _ib._
” Destination changed to Agra _ib._
1842. Ordered to proceed to Ferozepore _ib._
1843. Returned to Agra 87
” Presentation of new colours to the regiment _ib._
” Address of Lord Ellenborough, the Governor-General of
India, on that occasion _ib._
” The regiment formed part of the “Army of Exercise”
assembled at Agra 90
” Aspect of affairs in the Gwalior state 91
” Battle of _Maharajpore_ 92
” Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“MAHARAJPORE” on the regimental colour and
appointments 94
” Honors conferred on the officers and men _ib._
1844. Return of the regiment to Agra 96
1843. Gallant conduct of certain volunteers from the Thirteenth
to the THIRTY-NINTH regiment, at the storming of the
heights of Truckee 97
1846. Volunteering of the regiment to other corps in India 99
1847. Embarked for England 100
” Complimentary orders by the Commander-in-Chief in India
on the regiment quitting that country 101
1848. Removed from Portsmouth to Hull 102
” Proceeded to Preston, in Lancashire _ib._
1849. Stationed at Preston _ib._
1850. Removed to Ireland _ib._
1852. Lieut.-General George Burrell, C.B., appointed Colonel
of the regiment 103
1853. Major-General Richard Lluellyn, C.B., appointed Colonel
of the regiment 104
” CONCLUSION _ib._
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS OF THE THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
Year. Page
1702. Richard Coote 105
1703. Nicholas Sankey _ib._
1719. Thomas Ferrers 106
1722. William Newton _ib._
1730. Sir John Cope, K.B. _ib._
1732. Thomas Wentworth 107
1737. John Campbell, afterwards Duke of Argyle _ib._
1738. Richard Onslow 108
1739. Robert Dalway _ib._
1740. Samuel Walter Whitshed 109
1743. Edward Richbell _ib._
1752. John Adlercron _ib._
1766. Sir Robert Boyd 110
1794. Nisbett Balfour _ib._
1823. Sir George Airey, K.C.H. 111
1833. The Honorable Sir Robert William O’Callaghan, G.C.B. 114
1840. Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson, G.C.B. 115
1852. George Burrell, C.B. 117
1853. Richard Lluellyn, C.B. _ib._
APPENDIX.
Page
Memoir of Colonel George Wilson, formerly Lieut.-Colonel
of the regiment 119
Memoir of Major-General, Sir Charles Bruce, K.C.B.,
formerly Lieut.-Colonel of the regiment 120
Memoir of Major-General, Sir Patrick Lindesay, K.C.B. and
K.C.H., formerly Lieut.-Colonel of the regiment 121
PLATES.
Page
Colours of the regiment _to face_ 1
Costume of the regiment 104
[Illustration: THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT.
_For Cannon’s Military Records_]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE THIRTY-NINTH,
OR THE
DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
[Sidenote: 1700.]
[Sidenote: 1701.]
The long-expected decease of King Charles II. of Spain occurred on
the 1st of November 1700, and the circumstance of his bequeathing
his crown to Philip, Duke of Anjou, second son of the Dauphin of
France, involved the several Powers of Europe in a lengthened
contest, which has been designated the “_War of the Spanish
Succession_.” England would, probably, have abstained from becoming
a principal in the war, had not Louis XIV., upon the death of James
II. at St. Germains, on the 16th of September 1701, proclaimed
that monarch’s son, known as the Pretender, as King of England,
Scotland, and Ireland, which so aroused the feelings of the English
people as to lead the nation to support with ardour Charles,
Archduke of Austria, the second son of Leopold, Emperor of Germany,
in his efforts to obtain the throne of Spain, particularly as it
was considered that the anticipated union of the crowns of France
and Spain would be inimical to the “balance of power” in Europe.
[Sidenote: 1702.]
Active preparations for war commenced, and the THIRTY-NINTH was
one of the regiments raised at this period, and has been since
retained on the establishment of the army.[6] The regiment was
raised in Ireland by Colonel Richard Coote, under the authority of
a royal warrant dated the 13th of February 1702, and continued to
be stationed in that country for the five following years.
The sudden decease of King William III. on the 8th of March 1702,
did not retard the breaking out of hostilities, for his views were
carried into effect by his successor Queen Anne, who declared war
against France and Spain on the 4th of May following, and the Earl
of Marlborough was appointed to command the forces in Flanders,
with the rank of Captain-General.
[Sidenote: 1703.]
Colonel Nicholas Sankey was appointed to the colonelcy of the
regiment on the 17th of March 1703, in succession to Colonel
Richard Coote, deceased.
[Sidenote: 1704.]
_Gibraltar_, a name which, in subsequent years, is so gloriously
connected with the THIRTY-NINTH regiment,[7] was taken in July
1704 by the British and Dutch marines, aided by the seamen, under
Major-General the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt, and Admiral Sir George
Rooke. In October following, the French and Spaniards endeavoured
to retake the fortress, but after a siege of some months they
desisted from the attempt in March 1705.
[Sidenote: 1705.]
[Sidenote: 1706.]
While the army under the Duke of Marlborough was pursuing a
victorious career in Flanders and Germany, the troops which had
been employed in Portugal and Spain had likewise gained important
successes. In October 1705, the allied troops under the Earl of
Peterborough captured _Barcelona_, and that celebrated city was
successfully defended by them in April and May of the following
year. Madrid was taken possession of by the Earl of Galway in June
1706, and the fortunes of Charles III. appeared in the ascendant;
but the delay of that prince to avail himself of these advantages,
by marching at once to the capital of Spain, enabled Philip V. to
collect an army superior in numbers to the Allies, and Madrid was
again occupied by the enemy in August of the same year.
[Sidenote: 1707.]
On the 25th of April 1707, the allied forces under the Earl of
Galway were defeated by the Duke of Berwick at _Almanza_[8], which
materially changed the aspect of affairs in Spain.
Additional troops were shortly afterwards selected for embarkation
for Portugal, and the THIRTY-NINTH was one of the regiments
directed to proceed to that country.
Accordingly the Fifth, Twentieth, THIRTY-NINTH, and a newly raised
regiment commanded by Colonel Stanwix (since disbanded), having
been selected for this service, sailed from Cork on the 22nd of
May 1707, and landed at Lisbon on the 8th of June. This seasonable
reinforcement arriving soon after the defeat of the allied army
at Almanza, in the south-east of Spain, and at the moment when
the enemy, having captured Serpa and Moura in the Alemtejo, had
seized on the bridge of Olivenza in Portuguese Estremadura, and
menaced that important place with a siege, its presence revived the
drooping spirits of the Portuguese.
These four regiments being the only British troops in that part
of the country, were disembarked with every possible expedition,
and marched to the frontiers under the command of the Marquis
de Montandre, when the enemy immediately ceased to act on the
offensive, and retired. The four regiments having halted at
Estremos, a strong town of the Alemtejo, situated in an agreeable
tract on the Tarra, remained in this pleasant quarter during the
summer heats, and afterwards encamped in the fruitful valley of the
Caya, near Elvas, having detached parties on the flanks to prevent
the enemy making incursions into Portugal, in which service the
regiments were engaged until November, when they went into quarters
in the frontier towns of Portugal.
[Sidenote: 1708.]
In the spring of 1708 the regiment again took the field, and was
encamped at Fuente de Sapatores, between Elvas and Campo Mayor. The
British division was soon afterwards increased to six regiments,
by the arrival of the Thirteenth foot, and a newly raised regiment
(Paston’s) from England. The little army in the Alemtejo was
commanded by the Marquis de Fronteira, but the characteristic
inactivity of the Portuguese occasioned the services of the
THIRTY-NINTH to be limited to defensive operations. The regiment
was encamped in the autumn at Campo Mayor, and afterwards went into
cantonments.
[Sidenote: 1709.]
The regiment moved from its quarters in the spring of 1709, and
became engaged in active operations. It was first encamped near
Estremos, and proceeded from thence to Elvas on the 23rd of April
1709; the regiment was subsequently encamped with the army on
the banks of the _Caya_, where the Earl of Galway, who had been
removed from the army in Catalonia, appeared at the head of the
British division.