TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}, for example Esq^{re}.
Some minor changes are noted at the end of the book.
[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 FIFTEENTH,
OR,
THE YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING,
REGIMENT OF FOOT,
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1685,
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.
M DCCC XLVIII.
LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET.
FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.
THE FIFTEENTH,
OR,
THE YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING,
REGIMENT OF FOOT,
BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR THE WORDS
"MARTINIQUE,"
AND
"GUADALOUPE,"
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE GALLANTRY
DISPLAYED IN THE CAPTURE OF
THOSE ISLANDS IN THE YEARS 1809 AND 1810.
FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
CONTENTS.
Year Page
1685 Formation of the Regiment at Nottingham 1
1686 Establishment 2
1687 Encamped on Hounslow Heath 4
1688 Revolution in Great Britain 5
---- Marched to Scotland -
1689 Battle of Killicrankie 6
1690 ------ at Cromdale -
---- Marched to Inverlochy 8
1691 Submission of the Highlanders to King William
and Queen Mary 9
1694 Embarked for Flanders -
---- Engaged in the capture of Huy 10
1695 ------- at Fort Kenoque --
---- ------- at the surrender of Dixmude to the French 11
---- Colonel Sir James Lesley cashiered, and succeeded
by Colonel Emanuel Howe 12
---- Garrison of Namur surrendered --
---- Released from prisoners of war --
1696 Marched to Bruges --
1697 Proceeded to Brussels 13
---- Treaty of Peace at Ryswick --
---- Embarked for England 14
---- Proceeded to Ireland --
1701 Preparations for War with France --
---- Re-embarked for Holland --
---- Reviewed at Breda by King William III. --
1702 Proceeded to Rosendael 15
---- Siege of Kayserswerth --
---- Engaged at Nimeguen --
---- War declared against France and Spain --
---- The Earl of Marlborough assumed the command
of the army in Flanders --
---- Engaged at the siege of Venloo 16
---- ----------------------- Ruremonde --
---- ----------------------- Liege --
1703 Surrender of Bonn --
---- Proceeded to Maestricht 17
---- Engaged at the capture of Huy --
---- ------------------------- Limburg --
1704 Proceeded from Holland to the Danube --
---- Joined the Imperial Army 18
---- Battle of Schellenberg --
---- --------- Blenheim 19
---- Marshal Tallard taken prisoner, and the French
Army defeated 20
---- Siege of Landau 21
1705 Re-capture of Huy 22
---- Forced the French lines at Neer-Hespen and Helixem --
1706 Battle of Ramilies --
---- Many prisoners, with cannon, colours, &c. taken 23
---- Surrender of Brussels, Ghent, &c. --
---- --------- of Ostend --
---- --------- of Menin --
---- --------- of Dendermond and Aeth --
1708 Re-embarked for England to repel the invasion
of the Pretender --
---- Returned to Flanders 24
1708 Battle of Oudenarde --
---- Engaged in the Siege of Lisle --
---- Re-capture of Ghent and Bruges 25
1709 Siege and Capture of Tournay --
---- Battle of Malplaquet 26
---- Siege and Capture of Mons --
---- Marched into winter quarters at Ghent --
1710 Forced the French lines at Pont-à-Vendin 27
---- Siege and Capture of Douay --
---- Encamped at Villars-Brulin --
---- Surrender of Bethune --
---- --------- of Aix and St. Venant --
---- Marched into quarters at Courtray --
1711 Encamped at Warde and reviewed by the Duke
of Marlborough --
---- Forced the French lines at Arleux --
---- Siege and surrender of Bouchain --
1712 Negociations for peace commenced 28
---- Duke of Ormond assumed the command of the Army --
---- Returned to Ghent --
1713 Removed to Dunkirk --
---- ------- to Nieuport --
1714 Returned to England --
---- Decease of Queen Anne, and accession of King George I. --
1715 Employed against the rebels in Great Britain --
1719 Employed in Scotland 29
---- Invasion of a Spanish force at Kintail --
---- Defeat and surrender of the invaders at Glensheil --
1728 Reviewed at Blackheath by King George II. --
1740 Encamped in the Isle of Wight 30
---- Embarked for the West Indies --
1741 Arrived at Jamaica --
---- Sailed for Carthagena --
1741 Attack and capture of Bocca-chica 31
---- Siege of the Castle of St. Lazar --
---- Forts of Carthagena destroyed 32
---- Returned to Jamaica 33
1742 Re-embarked for England --
1745 Embarked for Ostend --
---- Ostend captured by the French --
---- Recalled to England in consequence of the
French invasion 34
1746 Battle of Culloden --
---- Embarked for the coast of France, and proceeded
against Port L'Orient and Quiberon --
---- Returned to England 35
1748 Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle --
1749 Proceeded to Ireland --
1751 Royal Warrant issued for regulating the clothing,
colours, &c. --
1755 War re-commenced with France 36
---- Returned to England --
1756 Encamped at Blandford --
1757 Encamped at Barham-downs --
---- Embarked on an expedition against the coast of France --
---- Capture of the Isle of Aix 37
---- Returned to England --
1758 Embarked for North America --
---- Formed part of an expedition against Louisbourg, and in
the taking of the Island of Cape Breton, under
Brigadier-General James Wolfe 38
---- The captured colours, &c. presented to the King, and
publickly conveyed from Kensington Palace to St.
Paul's Cathedral 39
---- Rewarded by the approbation of the Sovereign, and by
the thanks of Parliament --
1759 Embarked in an expedition against Quebec, under
Major-General James Wolfe --
---- Death of Major-General Wolfe 41
---- Surrender of Quebec 42
---- Approbation of the King of the conduct of the troops,
thanks of Parliament, and public thanksgiving of
the Nation --
1760 Defence of Quebec against an attempt of the French to
retake it 43
---- Joined in an attack on Montreal 44
---- Conquest of Canada --
1761 Encamped at Staten Island 44
---- Embarked for Barbadoes --
1762 Engaged on an expedition in the capture of Martinique --
---- Embarked on an expedition to the Havannah 45
---- Capture of Moro Fort, nine ships of war, &c. --
1763 Peace with Spain concluded --
---- The Havannah restored to Spain --
---- Embarked for New York, and proceeded to Canada 46
1768 Embarked for England --
1770 Reviewed at Chatham by King George III. --
1772 Marched to Scotland --
1774 Embarked for Ireland --
1776 War with North America --
---- Embarked for America 47
---- Proceeded on an expedition against Charleston --
---- Re-embarked and proceeded to Staten Island --
---- Effected a landing at Long Island --
---- Proceeded against New York 48
---- ----------------- White Plains --
---- ----------------- Fort Washington --
1777 ----------------- Peek's-Hill --
---- ----------------- Danbury --
1777 Arrived at Ridgefield 49
---- Engaged at the Hill of Compo --
---- Embarked at New York --
---- Proceeded on an expedition against Philadelphia 50
---- Engaged at Brandywine --
---- Engaged at Germantown 51
---- ------- at Whitemarsh --
1778 Marched from Philadelphia to New York 52
---- Embarked for the West Indies --
---- Proceeded on an expedition against St. Lucia 53
1779 Embarked from St. Lucia and landed at St. Christopher's 54
1781 War declared against Holland --
---- Capture of the Island of St. Eustatius --
---- Recaptured by the French, and the 13th and 15th
Regiments taken prisoners --
1782 Island of St. Christopher's taken by the French 55
---- Regiment returned to England 56
---- Received the County title of "York East Riding" --
1784 Embarked for Ireland --
1790 -------- for Barbadoes --
1793 Removed to Dominica --
1794 Embarked on an expedition against Martinique
and Guadaloupe 57
1795 Stationed at Martinique 58
1796 Re-embarked for England --
1797 Proceeded to Scotland --
1799 Returned to England --
---- Received volunteers from the Militia and augmented
to two battalions --
1800 Embarked for Ireland --
1802 Peace concluded with France --
---- Establishment reduced, and the second battalion
disbanded --
1803 War recommenced against France --
1804 Establishment again augmented, and second
battalion added and formed in Yorkshire 59
1805 First battalion embarked for the West Indies --
---- Embarked as Marines on board the Fleet under Admiral
Lord Nelson --
---- Relanded at Barbadoes --
1807 Again embarked on board the fleet --
---- Returned to Barbadoes, and embarked for Grenada --
---- Engaged in an expedition against the islands of
St. Thomas and St. Croix 60
1809 ------------------------ against the island of
Martinique --
---- Capture of Martinique --
---- Engaged in the reduction of the islands in the
vicinity of Guadaloupe 61
---- Returned to Grenada --
1810 Embarked in an expedition against Guadaloupe --
---- Capture of Guadaloupe 62
1812 Removed to St. Christopher's 63
1814 General peace proclaimed --
1815 War recommenced by the violation of the treaty
of peace by Napoleon Buonaparte 64
---- The islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe again taken
possession of --
---- Re-embarked for Barbadoes --
1816 Peace being restored, the second battalion disbanded 65
---- Removed to Martinique --
---- Proceeded to Grenada --
1817 Embarked for Nova Scotia --
1819 -------- for Bermuda --
1821 -------- for England --
1822 -------- for Ireland --
1827 Formed into six Service and four Depôt Companies 66
1827 Embarked for Canada --
1832 Employed in aid of the civil power at Montreal
in suppressing a serious riot 67
---- Expressions of approbation of the conduct of the
regiment 68
---- Suffered severely from the effects of Asiatic cholera 73
1838 Engaged on active duties in consequence of rebellion
among a portion of the inhabitants of the Canadas 75
1840 Returned to England 79
---- Disembarked at Portsmouth, and joined by the
Depôt Companies --
1841 Proceeded to Winchester, and thence to Woolwich --
1842 Marched to Windsor --
---- Reviewed by Her Majesty the Queen Victoria, and the
Prince Albert --
---- Proceeded to Chester 80
---- --------- to Manchester --
1843 Embarked for Ireland --
1845 Formed into six Service and four Depôt Companies --
---- Service Companies embarked for Ceylon --
1846 ----------------- arrived at Ceylon 81
1847 Depôt Companies embarked from Ireland to England --
1848 The Conclusion --
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
Year Page
1685 Sir William Clifton, Bart 83
1686 Arthur Herbert, afterwards Earl of Torrington --
1687 Sackville Tufton 84
1688 Sir James Lesley 85
1695 Emanuel Howe --
1709 Algernon Earl of Hertford, afterwards Duke of Somerset 86
1715 Harry Harrison --
1749 John Jordan 87
1756 Jeffery Amherst, afterwards Lord Amherst --
1768 Charles Hotham, afterwards Thompson 88
1775 Richard Earl of Cavan 89
1778 Sir William Fawcett, K.B. --
1792 James Hamilton 92
1794 Henry Watson Powell --
1814 Sir Moore Disney, K.C.B. --
1846 Sir Phineas Riall, K.C.H. 93
APPENDIX.
Battles, Sieges, &c., from 1689 to 1697 95
--------------------- from 1702 to 1713 96
PLATES.
Colours of the Regiment _to face_ 1
Costume of the Regiment " 82
THE FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
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 stouthearted 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 insure 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."
[Illustration: FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
QUEEN'S COLOUR.]
[Illustration: REGIMENTAL COLOUR.
FOR CANNONS MILITARY RECORDS
_Madeley Litho: 3 Wellington St. Strand_]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF THE
FIFTEENTH, OR YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING
REGIMENT OF FOOT.
[Sidenote: 1685]
Peace with foreign nations and tranquillity at home, accompanied
by improvements in the domestic and commercial interests of the
kingdom, followed the accession of KING JAMES II. to the throne,
in February, 1685; but few months elapsed before JAMES DUKE OF
MONMOUTH appeared as a competitor to the throne, and raised an army
in the west of England. The King immediately augmented his regular
forces; and among the corps then raised was the regiment which now
bears the title of the FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
This corps was raised in Nottinghamshire and the adjoining
counties, the general rendezvous being at Nottingham; and the
several companies of which it was composed were raised by the
following gentlemen:-- SIR WILLIAM CLIFTON, ---- COTTER, ----
BAKER, WILLIAM BARNES, WILLIAM DOBYNS, THOMAS FOWKE, JOHN
STANHOPE, ---- WARREN, WILLIAM STOW, and ROGER KIRKBY. SIR WILLIAM
CLIFTON was appointed colonel by commission dated the 22nd of
June, 1685; Captain Cotter was appointed to be lieut.-colonel, and
Captain Baker to be major.
While many loyal men were arraying themselves under the King's
banner, and the several companies of the regiment were making rapid
progress towards being completed in numbers, the rebel army was
overthrown at Sedgemoor, and the Duke of Monmouth was afterwards
captured and beheaded.
In August, the regiment marched from Nottingham to Hounslow, and
pitched its tents on the heath; where it was reviewed by the King,
who thanked the officers and soldiers for the readiness they had
evinced to support the Crown at the moment of danger: it afterwards
marched to London, was quartered for a short period in Moorfields,
and in September proceeded to Carlisle, North Shields, Landguard
Fort, and Scarborough Castle, where it passed the winter.
[Sidenote: 1686]
The King, having resolved to retain the regiment in his service,
fixed its establishment, by warrant under the sign-manual, bearing
date the 1st of January, 1685-6, at the following numbers and
rates of pay (_see_ p. 3).
In the spring, the regiment proceeded into Yorkshire, and was
quartered at York, Hull, &c.
Colonel Sir William Clifton retired from the service, and was
succeeded by Colonel Arthur Herbert, afterwards Earl Torrington, by
commission dated 12th of May, 1686.
[Sidenote: 1687]
The regiment passed this year in the north of England; in February,
1687, it marched to Kingston-upon-Thames, from which detachments
proceeded to Windsor, to mount guard at the castle. At the same
time a grenadier company was added to the establishment.
+--------------------------------------------+---------------+
| COLONEL SIR WILLIAM CLIFTON'S REGIMENT. | Pay per day. |
+--------------------------------------------+---------------+
| STAFF. | £. _s._ _d._ |
| | |
| The Colonel, _as Colonel_ | 0 12 0 |
| Lieut.-Colonel, _as Lieut.-Colonel_ | 0 7 0 |
| Major, _as Major_ | 0 5 0 |
| Chaplain | 0 6 8 |
| Chirurgeon 4_s._, his Mate 2_s._ 6_d._ | 0 6 6 |
| Adjutant | 0 4 0 |
| Quarter-Master and Marshal | 0 4 0 |
| +---------------+
| Total for Staff | 2 5 2 |
| +---------------+
| THE COLONEL'S COMPANY. | |
| | |
| The Colonel, _as Captain_ | 0 8 0 |
| Lieutenant | 0 4 0 |
| Ensign | 0 3 0 |
| 2 Serjeants, 1_s._ 6_d._ each | 0 3 0 |
| 3 Corporals, 1_s._ each | 0 3 0 |
| 1 Drummer | 0 1 0 |
| 50 Soldiers, 8_d._ each | 1 13 4 |
| +---------------+
| Total for one Company | 2 15 4 |
| +---------------+
| Nine Companies more at the same rate | 24 18 0 |
| +---------------+
| Total per day | 29 18 6 |
| Per Annum £10,922 12_s._ 6_d._ | |
+--------------------------------------------+---------------+
On the 12th of April, Colonel Herbert was succeeded in the command
of the regiment by Colonel Sackville Tufton, brother to the Earl of
Thanet.
At this period, the following officers were holding commissions in
the regiment:--
_Captains._
Sackville Tufton (col).
Rupert Billingsby (lt.-col).
Edward Nott (major).
John South.
William Stow.
William Barns.
John Stanhope.
Thomas Fowkes.
William Dobyns.
Roger Kirkby.
_Lieutenants._
William Sandys.
Pierce Row.
Ralph Philips.
William Hussey.
Matthew Rugby.
John Thornill.
John Dakeyns.
James Prince.
Michael Baker.
Peter Ashton.
_Ensigns._
Joshua Dereham.
John Davies.
Charles Reke.
Thomas Whetham.[6]
William Lascels.
Robert Adams.
John Graydon.
John Larson.
John Price.
William Kirkby.
Sackville Tufton, }
John Baron. } Grenadier Company.
Andrew Armstrong. }
Charles Pharley, _Chaplain_.
Gregory Broom, _Adjutant_.
Robert Baker, _Chirurgeon_.
Thomas Gibbons, _Quarter-Master_.
[Sidenote: 1688]
In June, the regiment again pitched its tents on Hounslow Heath,
where it took part in several military spectacles, exhibited in the
presence of the royal family; and afterwards marched into quarters
in Norfolk. It once more encamped on Hounslow Heath in the summer
of 1688, and subsequently proceeded to Berwick, where it arrived
in September. An officer of the regiment states in his memoirs, 'I
sojourned two peaceable campaigns on Hounslow Heath; where I was an
eye-witness of one mock siege of Buda; after which our regiment was
ordered to Berwick.'[7]
At this period, England was in an agitated state; the proceedings
of the King in favour of papacy and arbitrary government had
occasioned many noblemen and gentlemen to invite the Prince of
Orange to come to England with an army, to enable them to oppose
the Court. The Prince arrived in November; the King fled to France;
and the Prince assumed the reins of government.
Colonel Tufton, not agreeing with the new order of things, was
succeeded in the command of the regiment by Colonel Sir James
Lesley, by commission dated the 31st of December, 1688.
[Sidenote: 1689]
The Prince and Princess of Orange having been elevated to the
throne by the title of King William the Third and Queen Mary, their
accession was opposed in Scotland, where the Duke of Gordon held
the Castle of Edinburgh in the interest of King James, and Viscount
Dundee aroused the Highland clans to arms. In consequence of these
proceedings, the regiment was ordered to Scotland, in the spring
of 1689; and it was stationed at Leith, as a reserve and support
to the troops blockading Edinburgh Castle, until the beginning of
June, when it was ordered up the country to join the forces under
Major-General Mackay, who was retreating before the Highlanders
under Viscount Dundee. The regiment joined Major-General Mackay
about six o'clock on the evening of the 5th of June; other troops
also arrived, and the major-general being thus reinforced, advanced
against the clans, who instantly retired towards the mountain
fastnesses. The FIFTEENTH foot followed the retreating Highlanders
to the borders of the wilds of Lochaber, and afterwards proceeded
to Inverness, where the regiment was stationed some time.
Captain Carleton states in his memoirs: 'We marched to Inverness,
a place of no great strength, where we lay two long winters,
perpetually harassed upon parties, and hunting of somewhat wilder
than their wildest game,--the Highlanders, who were, if not as
nimble-footed, yet fully as hard to be found.' While the regiment
was at Inverness, the battle of Killicrankie was fought, in which
the King's troops were defeated, and Viscount Dundee was killed. He
was succeeded by Major-General Cannon.
[Sidenote: 1690]
In April, 1690, Brigadier-General Sir Thomas Livingstone, who
commanded at Inverness, ascertained that a general rendezvous of
the clans was appointed to take place at Strathspey, from whence
they purposed descending in a body into the Lowlands; and that two
thousand men, under Major-Generals Cannon and Buchan, would arrive
at _Cromdale_ on the 30th of April; he therefore advanced with the
royal Scots dragoons (Greys), FIFTEENTH foot, and some detachments,
to attack the Highlanders. At dusk, on the evening of the 30th of
April, the troops arrived within two miles of Balloch Castle; they
traversed the difficult defile in the dark, and arriving at the
castle, had the camp-lights of the enemy, on a plain beyond the
Spey, pointed out to them; when, notwithstanding the fatigue they
had undergone, the soldiers expressed a wish to be led forward.
After a halt of half an hour for refreshment, the troops crossed
the Spey at a ford, and advanced towards the camp, when several
small parties of Highlanders were seen attempting to escape
towards the hills, and a squadron of the Greys galloped forward
to intercept the fugitives. The soldiers rushed into the camp and
commenced the work of destruction; at the same time a party of
the FIFTEENTH attacked the enemy's guard at Cromdale-church. The
Highlanders, suddenly aroused from sleep, endeavoured to escape
without clothes, and through the misty dawn numbers were seen
running in every direction, some attempting to escape on any terms,
and others defending themselves stoutly with sword and target,
against the dragoons, and soldiers of the FIFTEENTH foot, who made
great slaughter. Major-Generals Cannon and Buchan were taken by
surprise as much as their men, and the one escaped with his shirt
and night-cap only, and the other without coat, hat, or sword. 'We
pursued them till they got up Cromdale-hill, where we lost them in
a fog; and to me, at that instant of time, they seemed rather to be
people received up into the clouds, than flying from an enemy.'[8]
The enemy had placed a small garrison in _Lethindy Castle_, which
was summoned to surrender; but the Highlanders fired upon the
party, and wounded three grenadiers of the FIFTEENTH foot. Lieut.
Carleton, of the regiment, proceeded to an old house near the
castle, from whence he threw two or three hand-grenades into the
works, which so alarmed the enemy, that they instantly surrendered.
About three hundred Highlanders were killed on this occasion, and
one hundred taken prisoners: a standard, which had been unfurled a
few days previously for King James, was captured. The loss of the
King's troops was limited to a few horses killed and wounded and
five men wounded.[9] 'This happened on May-day, in the morning; for
which reason we returned to Inverness with our prisoners and boughs
in our hats; and the Highlanders never held up their heads so high
after this defeat.'
'General Mackay having received orders to build a fort at
_Inverlochy_, our regiment was commanded to that service. The
two regiments appointed to the same duty, with some dragoons,
having joined (in June), we marched together through Lochaber.
This surely is the wildest country in the Highlands, if not in the
world; I did not see one house in all our march; and the economy
of the people, if I may call it such, is much the same with that
of the Arabs or Tartars. In this march, or rather, if you please,
most dismal peregrination, we could rarely go two abreast; so that
our very little army had sometimes an extent of many miles; our
enemy, the Highlanders, firing down upon us, from the summits of
the mountains, all the way. Nor was it possible for our men, or
very rarely at least, to return their favours with any prospect
of success; for, as they popped upon us always on a sudden, they
never staid long enough to allow any of our soldiers a mark, or
even time enough to fire: and, for our men to march or climb up
those mountains, which to them were natural champaign, would have
been as dangerous as it appeared to us impracticable. Nevertheless,
under all these disadvantages, we arrived at Inverlochy, and
there performed the task appointed, building a fort on the same
spot where Cromwell had raised one before: and, which was not a
little remarkable, we had with us one Hill, a colonel, who had
been governor in Oliver's time, and who was now again appointed
governor by General Mackay. Thus the work on which we were sent
being effected, we marched back again by the way of Killicrankie,
where that memorable battle had been fought, under Dundee, the year
before.'[10]
[Sidenote: 1691]