certain our court had false accounts of the state the place was
in, both with relation to the garrison and the fortifications; the
garrison was much stronger, and the fortifications were in a better
state than was represented.' As a set-off to the miscarriage at
Cadiz, the expedition did good service and made a valuable conquest
at Vigo Bay, where the galleons from the West Indies, convoyed by
a French squadron, happened at this time to arrive[19]. A passage
of three quarters of a mile, which led into the harbour of Vigo,
was defended by forts on shore, and secured by a boom extending
across the channel; the latter was also protected within by five
line-of-battle ships, and flanked by two others. To facilitate
the attack on this formidable barrier, the Duke of Ormond landed
a portion of his army six miles from Vigo, and took by assault a
battery of forty pieces of cannon, situated at the entrance of
the bay. A British ensign, hoisted on this fort, was the signal
for a general attack; the fleet in full sail approached, broke
the boom at the first shock, and became closely engaged with the
enemy's ships, whilst the British troops that had landed stormed
and captured the batteries. After a vigorous defence, the French,
finding they could not escape, destroyed a part of their fleet;
but ten ships of war and eleven galleons were, notwithstanding,
captured. This glorious exploit was tarnished by some abuses
practised during the expedition; and so great was the plunder at
Port St. Mary, and at Vigo, that a proclamation was issued for its
recovery. Amongst others implicated in those disgraceful acts was
_Sir Henry Bellasis_, who was second in command of the land forces,
and was tried by a court-martial on his return to England, and
dismissed the service. After this expedition the Queen Dowager's
Regiment was landed and stationed at Portsmouth[20].
[Sidenote: 1703]
The Colonelcy of the Queen Dowager's Regiment was next conferred
on Lieutenant-General _David Colyear, Earl of Portmore_, whose
commission was dated the 27th of February, 1703.
In the early part of the year 1703 Queen Anne augmented her forces
in the Netherlands. The Queen Dowager's was one of the corps that
proceeded from England on the occasion, and joined the Duke of
Marlborough, who was in command of the allied army, and began
operations in the month of April. On the 10th of May following,
the Queen Dowager's Regiment had an opportunity of distinguishing
itself by a service, which evinced the utmost intrepidity and
discipline, and, in fact, saved part of the allied army from being
surprised by the enemy, and probably from severe defeat. The _Duke
of Marlborough_, being engaged in the siege of _Bonn_, and the
forces under _Marshal D'Auverquerque_ dispersed in quarters, the
French Marshals _Villeroy_ and _Boufflers_ determined to attempt
the surprise of the latter: by a night march they arrived with a
force of 40,000 men in the neighbourhood of _Tongres_, which was
occupied by two battalions of foot,--one of _Elst_, (afterwards
disbanded,) and the other of _Portmore_ (the Queen Dowager's).
The speedy reduction of _Tongres_ was necessary to the success
of the French Marshals, and it was accordingly attacked with
great vigour; but the two regiments defended themselves, with
extraordinary bravery, _for twenty-eight hours_; and when at
length reduced to surrender, they had secured time for _Marshal
D'Auverquerque_ to collect his forces in a position under the
cannon of Maestricht, so strong, that the enemy declined a general
engagement.
For its conduct at Tongres the Queen Dowager's Regiment was made
_Royal_, and obtained the motto, '_Pristinæ Virtutis Memor_.'
Shortly after the above gallant affair, the capture of the fortress
of _Huy_ by the confederates enabled the Commander-in-Chief
to obtain the release of the brave corps which had been made
prisoners at _Tongres_, and the following provision was made
for that purpose; _viz._:-- 'The Governor, 900 men, and two
Brigadier-Generals to remain prisoners of war, till the two
regiments taken by the French at Tongres are released.' These terms
were speedily complied with.
[Sidenote: 1704]
Archduke Charles of Austria having been acknowledged as sovereign
of Spain by a great part of Europe, was seconded in his efforts
to establish his claim by a combined English and Dutch force,
commanded by the Duke of Schomberg; and he was further encouraged
in his undertaking by having Portugal for his ally. His object, was
to enter Spain by the Portuguese frontiers, and the auxiliary force
accordingly proceeded to Lisbon. The Queen Dowager's was one of
the regiments selected for this service, and having embarked from
Holland, the regiment landed at Lisbon on the 16th of March, 1704.
The Duke of Schomberg was succeeded in his command by the Earl
of Galway, who advanced with the army to the vicinity of Ciudad
Rodrigo, but returned to Portugal for winter quarters.
[Sidenote: 1705]
In the summer of 1705 the Queen Dowager's Regiment was engaged in
the siege of _Valencia de Alcantara_, which place was taken by
storm on the 8th of May. The regiment was also employed in the
siege and capture of _Albuquerque_; and in the unsuccessful attack
on _Badajoz_, in which the Earl of Galway lost his right hand by a
cannon ball.
On the 31st of December, Catherine, Queen Dowager of England, with
whose history the early services of this regiment were connected,
and from whom its original title and distinctions (as already
remarked) were derived, died at Lisbon. Her Majesty was Regent of
Portugal during the summer, (the king her brother being with the
army) and had proved herself firmly attached to the interests of
Great Britain[21].
[Sidenote: 1706]
In April, 1706, the regiment was engaged in the siege of
_Alcantara_, in Spanish Estramadura, and on the 10th of that month
distinguished itself in an attack on the enemy's post at the
Convent of St. Francis; it was afterwards engaged in the siege and
capture of _Ciudad Rodrigo_; and subsequently advanced with the
army to Madrid.
This advance was in connexion with the operations of Charles, Earl
of Peterborough, and of the combined English and Dutch fleets,
the reduction of Barcelona, and the conquest of Catalonia and
Valencia,--features important in history, which reflect the highest
honour on the British arms.
Success seemed secured to the allies, when the cause of _King
Charles III._, who had been proclaimed at the head of his
victorious army at Madrid, was destroyed in consequence of intrigue
and want of unanimity; and the army was obliged to retire from the
provinces it had conquered.
[Sidenote: 1707]
In the spring of 1707 the army, commanded by the Earl of Galway,
under the orders of the Marquis das Minas, invested Villena; at the
same time the opposing army, under the Duke of Berwick, advanced
to _Almanza_, where he was attacked by the allies on the 25th
of April. The enemy was considerably superior in numbers to the
confederates. Smollet remarks of this action, 'The English and
Dutch squadrons on the left, sustained by the Portuguese horse
of the second line, were overpowered after a gallant resistance.
The centre, consisting chiefly of battalions from Great Britain
and Holland, obliged the enemy to give way, and move their first
upon the second line; but the Portuguese cavalry on the right
being broken at their first charge, their foot betook themselves
to flight, so that the English and Dutch troops being exposed on
the flanks, were surrounded and attacked on every side. In this
dreadful emergency they formed themselves into a square, and
retired from the field of battle. By this time the men were quite
spent with fatigue, and their ammunition exhausted; they were
ignorant of the country, abandoned by their horse, destitute of
provisions, and out of all hope of supply. Moved by these dismal
considerations they capitulated, and surrendered themselves
prisoners of war, to the amount of thirteen battalions.' In this
disastrous battle the allies lost 5000 men killed on the spot.
The following Return contains the number of officers killed,
wounded, and prisoners of war, in this most unfortunate battle.
RETURN of the Number of the BRITISH OFFICERS
killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, at the battle of _Almanza_,
on the 25th of April, 1707.
KEY:
A = Colonels and Lieut.-Colonels.
B = Majors.
C = Captains.
D = Subalterns.
E = Staff and Quarter-Masters.
Dn. Gds. = Dragoon Guards
Dns. = Dragoons
===============================+===================++===================
| KILLED. || PRISONERS.
REGIMENTS. +---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---
| A | B | C | D | E || A | B | C | D | E
+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---
Harvey's Horse 2nd Dn. Gds.| 1| ..| 1| 1| ..|| ..| ..| ..| 2| 1
Carpenter's Dns. 3rd Dns. | 1| ..| 1| 1| || | | | |
Lord Essex's 4th " | 1| ..| ..| 1| || | | | |
Killigrew's 8th " | 1| ..| ..| 1| || | | | |
Lord Peterborough's Dns. | 1| ..| 2| 1| 2|| | | | |
Edward Pearce's Dns. | 1| ..| ..| 2| 1|| ..| ..| 6| 2|
Foot Guards (1st and 2nd) | 1| ..| 2| ..| ..|| 2| ..| 3| 3| 2
Lord Portmore's 2nd Foot | ..| ..| ..| 1| ..|| 1| 1| 6| 12| 1
Southwell's 6th " | 1| ..| 4| 4| ..|| ..| ..| 2| 9| 3
Stewart's 9th " | ..| ..| 5| 3| ..|| ..| ..| 4| 12|
Hill's 11th " | ..| 1| 3| 2| ..|| 1| 1| 5| 13|
Blood's 17th " | 2| 1| ..| ..| ..|| ..| ..| 4| 13| 1
Lord Mordaunt's 28th " | ..| ..| 1| 1| ..|| 1| 1| 3| 12|
Wills's Marines 30th " | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|| ..| ..| ..| 1|
Borr's Marines 32nd " | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|| ..| ..| 1| ..|
Wade's 33rd " | ..| ..| 2| 3| ..|| ..| ..| 6| 11|
Gorge's 35th " | ..| ..| 3| ..| ..|| 1| ..| 5| 11|
Allnutt's 36th " | ..| ..| 2| 3| ..|| 3| ..| ..| 10|
Lord Montjoy's, disbanded | | | | | || | | | |
in 1713 | ..| ..| ..| 1| ..|| 2| 1| 1| 13|
Bowles's ditto | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|| 1| ..| 8| 13|
Bretton's ditto | ..| ..| ..| 3| ..|| 3| ..| 7| 12|
Mackartney's ditto | 1| ..| ..| 4| ..|| 2| 1| 6| 11| 1
Lord Mark Kerr's ditto | 2| ..| 3| 3| ..|| ..| 1| 2| 11|
Nassau's ditto | ..| ..| 1| 4| ..|| 1| 1| 6| 10|
+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---
Total | 13| 2| 30| 39| 3|| 18| 7| 69|181| 9
Number of wounded | | | | | || | | | |
included as prisoners | ..| ..| ..| ..| ..|| 3| 1| 16| 67| 5
===============================+===+===+===+===+===++===+===+===+===+===
Of the Queen's Royal, Lieutenant Brady was killed;
Lieutenant-Colonel Kirke, Major Cullyford, Captains Laton, Arnott,
Hart, Gossin, Giles, and Phillips; Lieutenants Jackson, Slack,
May, Sawyers, Bracelay, Frazier, and Arthlony; Ensigns Nichols,
Brown, Graham, Johnson, and Downs, and Surgeon Dalrimple, were made
prisoners of war.
The severe losses sustained on this occasion, and on other services
in Spain, induced the Earl of Galway to order the Queen's Royal and
the 9th Regiments of Foot, after transferring their serviceable men
to other regiments in Spain, to return to England, for the purpose
of recruiting their ranks.
[Sidenote: 1708]
The regiment accordingly arrived in England in 1708, and, by active
exertions, its casualties were soon replaced, and the men rendered
fit to enter upon active service.
[Sidenote: 1710]
_Lieutenant-Colonel Piercy Kirke_ was promoted Colonel by purchase,
on the 19th of September, 1710, _vice_ General the Earl of
Portmore[22]. He was the son of its old Colonel, Lieutenant-General
Kirke, and had served in the corps from the rank of Ensign, in 1686.
[Sidenote: 1711]
In 1711 the regiment formed part of a force of 5000 men ordered
to proceed to America under General Hill, and to make an attempt
on Quebec, with the object of effecting the conquest of Canada. A
large fleet of men-of-war formed part of the armament, which was
to be further strengthened by troops from the American colonies.
The expedition did not reach the river St. Lawrence until the
21st of August, when it encountered storms, and being furnished
with bad pilots, eight transports, a store ship, and a sloop were
lost by shipwreck, and 29 officers, 676 soldiers, and 35 women of
the 4th, 37th, Colonel Kane's, and Colonel Clayton's regiments,
perished. There was also a scarcity of provisions. It was therefore
determined, in a council of war, that further operations should
be abandoned. Some of the regiments engaged in the expedition
proceeded to Annapolis Royal, in Nova Scotia, but the Queen's
returned to England, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 9th of
October.
[Sidenote: 1712]
[Sidenote: 1713]
In consequence of the sudden death of the Emperor Joseph of
Austria, and the election of Charles III. of Spain to the dignity
of Emperor of the Romans, negociations were entered into by
England and France, and hostilities were terminated by the peace
of Utrecht, which was concluded on the 31st of March, 1713.
The Queen's Royal were now permitted to remain for a period on
home-duty.
Queen Anne was not unmindful of the arduous and faithful services
which had been rendered by her troops in time of need, and
recommended them to the consideration of parliament, as 'brave men
who had exposed their lives in the service of their country, and
could not be employed in time of peace.'
[Sidenote: 1714]
[Sidenote: 1727]
After the demise of her Majesty Queen Anne, on the 1st of August,
1714, King George I. not having a Queen Consort, this regiment was
styled '_Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales's own Regiment of
Foot_;' and when the death of King George I. on the 11th of June,
1727, brought the Princess of Wales to share the throne of England,
its appellation was again changed to '_The Queen's own Regiment of
Foot_.'
[Sidenote: 1728]
The Queen's own Regiment was reviewed on Blackheath, in June, 1728,
by his Majesty King George II., and furnished a guard of honour to
her Royal Highness the princess Amelia, during her residence at
Tunbridge Wells, in June and July, 1728.
[Sidenote: 1730]
In June, 1730, the regiment embarked for Gibraltar, and was
employed in that fortress in 1740, when it was blockaded by
the Spaniards, with whom war had been declared in 1739; but no
serious impression was made on the place at that time, nor at any
subsequent period of the war, which was terminated in 1748 by the
treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
[Sidenote: 1741]
Lieutenant-General Kirke, after commanding the regiment upwards of
thirty years, died on the 1st of January, 1741; and was succeeded
on the 12th of August following by Colonel Thomas Fowke, from the
Forty-third Regiment.
[Sidenote: 1749]
In 1749, the year following the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, the
regiment embarked from Gibraltar, and proceeded to Ireland.
[Sidenote: 1751]
Prior to 1751, the several regiments, both of cavalry and infantry,
had been called after the names of their respective colonels: on
the 1st of July of this year, a royal warrant was issued, for
regulating the clothing, standards, guidons, colours, &c., of
regiments, in which _numerical_ titles were given to the regiments
of horse, dragoons, and foot. In this warrant the _Royal Regiment
of Foot_, from its antiquity, was numbered '_The First Regiment of
Foot_;' and the QUEEN'S ROYAL being the next in seniority,
was numbered '_The Second Regiment of Foot_.'
[Sidenote: 1755]
General Fowke was removed to the 14th Foot, and was succeeded in
the Colonelcy of the Second, or Queen's Royal, on the 12th of
November, 1755, by the Honourable John Fitzwilliam.
[Sidenote: 1756]
From the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, arts and sciences, trade and
manufactures, had greatly flourished in England, and a rivalry
existed with continental Europe for pre-eminence in advancing
refinements and civilization. This prosperous state of things was
interrupted in 1756 by war with France, and hostilities continued
during the remainder of the reign of George II., and for three
years in the reign of his successor George III. Peace was restored
in 1763 by the treaty of Paris. This war had been pursued with
vigour by Great Britain, whose fleets and armies triumphed in all
quarters of the world. The Queen's Regiment was kept on duty in
Ireland, which country was threatened by France with invasion.
That nation, however, found sufficient occupation for her troops
elsewhere, and the threat of invasion, as on other occasions,
terminated on the part of France in wasteful preparations and
presumptuous boast.
[Sidenote: 1760]
Major-General the Honourable John Fitzwilliam was removed to the
2nd Irish Horse, (now the 5th Dragoon Guards) and was succeeded by
Sir Charles Montague, K.B., on the 27th of November, 1760.
[Sidenote: 1765]
The Queen's Royal Regiment continued in Ireland until June, 1765,
when it was removed to the Isle of Man, where it remained until
1768.
[Sidenote: 1768]
In February, 1768, it was removed from the Isle of Man to Cork,
whence it embarked for Gibraltar to relieve the 54th Regiment.
[Sidenote: 1775]
It remained at Gibraltar until 1775, when it returned to England
and landed at Portsmouth on the 26th of December of that year.
Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald, who was then in command of the regiment,
issued, previous to its landing, some orders, expressing, among
other things, his hope that the corps would insure its welcome
to England, _after an absence of half a century_, by the closest
attention to its duties, both civil and military.
[Sidenote: 1776]
The first quarters occupied by the Queen's Royal on its return
to England were at Alton and Farnham, from whence the regiment
marched, on the 9th of May, 1776, on a route for the north. Passing
through London, the regiment was reviewed by its Colonel, Sir
Charles Montague, on the 14th, and by his Majesty King George III.
on the 17th of the same month, and arrived on the 26th of July at
Tynemouth barracks, where it continued three years.
[Sidenote: 1777]
Sir Charles Montague[23] dying in 1777, Lieutenant-General Daniel
Jones was promoted from the Third Foot Guards to the Colonelcy of
the Queen's Royal on the 7th of August of that year.
[Sidenote: 1779]
In the summer of 1779 the Queen's Royal was one of the regiments of
the line and militia assembled in the camp of exercise on Warley
Common, after which it was quartered in Rumford, Ongar, and Epping.
[Sidenote: 1780]
On the breaking out of the riots in London in 1780, the Queen's
Regiment was among the troops ordered to the metropolis, and
encamped in Hyde Park on the 7th of June, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel William Dalrymple, on which occasion it received
the thanks of Major-General Rainsford for its regularity and good
conduct. On the breaking up of the camp in Hyde Park in August
following, the Queen's Regiment, with a large portion of the troops
proceeded to Finchley Common.
[Sidenote: 1783]
[Sidenote: 1790]
The regiment remained in England until the autumn of 1783, when it
again embarked for Gibraltar; and during the time of its service
in that garrison, his Royal Highness Prince Edward (afterwards
Duke of Kent) having arrived, was appointed to the command of the
Queen's, as appears from the following order, dated the 26th of
February, 1790:--'His Royal Highness Prince Edward is posted to
the Queen's Royal Regiment, of which he is to take command until
further orders.' In the ensuing August the command of the regiment
was resumed by Lieutenant-Colonel Woollicombe.
[Sidenote: 1792]
The regiment embarked from Gibraltar on the 25th of March, 1792,
and landed at Portsmouth on the 24th of April following, where
it went into barracks. On the 22nd of July it was encamped at
Wickham Bushes, near Bagshot, under the Duke of Richmond, with two
battalions of Royal Artillery, the 3rd, 14th, and 29th regiments,
where it was reviewed by his Majesty; after the breaking up of the
camp it returned to Portsmouth.
The repose granted to England by the peace of 1763 was, a few
years after that period, interrupted by legislative differences
with the North American Colonies, and at length by measures, which
led to a desperate and sanguinary war. Hostilities were commenced
in 1775, and terminated in 1783, with the loss to Great Britain of
that large portion of territory, _the United States of America_.
During this important struggle, France had afforded active
assistance in promoting the disunion of England and her American
subjects. A spirit of republicanism soon afterwards began to spread
in France. Anarchy, revolution, and bloodshed, and the execution of
their king, followed in rapid succession. The latter act took place
in 1793, and was the immediate cause of a war on the part of Great
Britain and of Europe, against France.
[Sidenote: 1793]
[Sidenote: 1794]
In February, 1793, the Queen's Regiment was ordered to Dover and
Folkstone to do duty over French prisoners of war. While on this
duty, two of the newly-raised independent companies were added to
the regiment, and a brigade of six-pounders attached to it. In
August following it was embarked, with the exception of the staff,
to serve as marines in the fleet under Admiral Earl Howe, and
shared in the glorious victory over the French fleet on the 1st
of June, 1794, which Earl Howe completely defeated, and seven of
the enemy's ships were captured. Lieutenant John Neville, of the
Queen's Royals, was killed on board the _Charlotte_, and Ensign
Boycott was wounded on board the _Defence_. The gallant Admiral,
in his public dispatch of the 2nd of June, expressed his thanks to
the crews and military corps for the highly distinguished examples
of resolution, perseverance, and spirit testified by them in the
actions of the 28th and 29th of May, and the 1st of June.
Lieutenant-General Jones[24] died on the 20th of November, 1793,
and was succeeded in the Colonelcy of the regiment by Major-General
Alexander Stewart.
The regiment continued to serve on board the fleet until the 24th
of November, 1794, when, _with the exception of two companies_,
it was re-landed, and, by the incorporation of some independent
companies, augmented to twelve companies, of four serjeants,
two drummers, and 100 rank and file each. Of these, the _ten
companies_ on shore were formed into a _Second Battalion_, as
appears by the Adjutant-General's letter of the 29th of November.
Some time, however, elapsed before the regiment had either two
pair of colours, or the staff of two battalions; but the corps,
thus formed, was designated the _Second Battalion_, while the
_two companies_, which remained doing marine duty on board the
fleet, continued the nucleus of the _First Battalion_, waiting an
opportunity, when their services should be no longer required as
marines, to be filled up, which took place in the following year.
On the 20th of December, 1794, Major-General James Coates
was appointed Colonel, vice Major-General Alexander Stewart,
deceased[25].
On the 25th of December the _Second Battalion_ embarked, under
the command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Earl of Dalhousie, for the
West Indies, and arrived in Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes, on the 29th of
March, 1795.
[Sidenote: 1795]
The year in which the regiment arrived in the West Indies was
rendered remarkable by a series of brilliant achievements performed
by the British forces serving in that part of his Majesty's
dominions; and the valuable French possessions of Martinique and
Guadaloupe were but a part of the captures made by the army and
fleet under their respective commanders, General Sir Charles Grey
and Admiral Sir John Jervis.
The National Convention, which at this period governed France,
although busily and successfully employed in extending
revolutionary power in Europe, was not indifferent to the events
above alluded to; and an expedition to the West Indies was
despatched from Brest, commanded by the famous Victor Hughes,
a republican commissioner, for the purpose of recovering the
conquered islands. A force of 2000 French troops arrived at
Guadaloupe, and were quickly reinforced by a multitude of Mulattoes
and Blacks, who were speedily clad in uniforms. Among this motley
group, comprising slave and freeman, the doctrines of liberty and
equality were disseminated, and led to a rapid overthrow of regular
government, and to a frightful catalogue of outrages and disasters.