TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
A superscript is denoted by ^x, for example S^t (Street).
Some minor changes are noted at the end of the book.
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE FORTY-SIXTH,
OR
THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE,
REGIMENT OF FOOT:
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1741
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1851.
COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.
ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.
LONDON:
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
30, CHARING CROSS.
M DCCC LI.
LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,
FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.
GENERAL ORDERS.
_HORSE-GUARDS_,
_1st January, 1836._
His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of
doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals
who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with
the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the
British Army shall be published under the superintendence and
direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall
contain the following particulars, viz.:--
---- The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of
the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time
employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations
in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any
Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies,
&c., it may have captured from the Enemy.
---- The Names of the Officers, and the number of
Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the
Enemy, specifying the place and Date of the Action.
---- The Names of those Officers who, in consideration of their
Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the
Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other
Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour.
---- The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers,
and Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in
Action.
And,
---- The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been
permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges
or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.
By Command of the Right Honorable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
_Commanding-in-Chief_.
JOHN MACDONALD,
_Adjutant-General_.
PREFACE.
The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend
upon the zeal and ardour by which all who enter into its service
are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that
any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which
alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted.
Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable
object than a full display of the noble deeds with which the
Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright
examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to
incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have
preceded him in their honorable career, are among the motives that
have given rise to the present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the
"London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public
prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the
time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and
admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions,
the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on
the Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their
orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill
and bravery; and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour
of their Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the
soldier most highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which
appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies)
for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services
and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in
obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic
account of their origin and subsequent services.
This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty
having been pleased to command that every Regiment shall, in
future, keep a full and ample record of its services at home and
abroad.
From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth
derive information as to the difficulties and privations which
chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In
Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to
the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and
where these pursuits have, for so long a period, 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 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."
THE FORTY-SIXTH,
OR
THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,
BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR AND APPOINTMENTS
THE WORD "DOMINICA,"
AS A DISTINGUISHING MARK
OF THE GOOD CONDUCT AND EXEMPLARY VALOUR
DISPLAYED BY THE REGIMENT
IN THE DEFENCE OF
THE ISLAND OF DOMINICA,
AGAINST A VERY SUPERIOR FRENCH FORCE,
ON THE 22nd OF FEBRUARY, 1805.
THE
FORTY-SIXTH,
OR,
THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,
ORIGINALLY
THE FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
CONTENTS
OF THE
HISTORICAL RECORD.
Year Page
1739 Introduction 1
---- War declared against Spain -
1741 Formation of the regiment -
---- Colonel John Price appointed to the colonelcy. -
---- Numbered the 57th regiment -
1742 Stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, proceeded to
Berwick, and thence to Scotland 3
1743 Appointment of Colonel Hon. Thomas Murray
to the colonelcy in succession to Colonel
Price, removed to the 14th foot -
1744 War declared between Great Britain and France -
1745 Battle of Fontenoy -
---- Prince Charles Edward, the eldest son of the
Pretender, landed in the Highlands of Scotland 4
1745 The King's forces, under Lieut.-General Sir
John Cope, assembled at Stirling, and advanced
to Inverness 4
---- The rebel forces, under Prince Charles, proceeded
to Perth and Dundee, and thence to Edinburgh,
which surrendered to him 5
---- The Prince, James Francis Edward, proclaimed
at the High Cross, Edinburgh, as King of
Great Britain and Ireland -
---- The Royal forces marched from Inverness to
Aberdeen, embarked for Dunbar, advanced
towards Edinburgh, and encamped near
_Preston-Pans_ -
---- Regiments which composed the Royal Army 6
---- Defeat of the Royal forces by the Highland
Insurgents -
---- Loss sustained by the Royal forces, including the
57th regiment, in killed, wounded, and prisoners 7
---- The Duke of Cumberland returned from the
continent, and assumed the command of the
Royal army -
---- The Prince Charles captured Carlisle, and proceeded
as far as Derby, from whence he afterwards
retreated to Scotland -
---- The Duke of Cumberland, after capturing the
rebel garrison of Carlisle, returned to
London, leaving the command of the army to
Lieut.-General Hawley -
1746 The Prince Charles invested Stirling, and
Lieut.-General Hawley marched to its relief -
---- Action at Falkirk -
---- The Duke of Cumberland resumed the command
of the army, and entered Stirling -
1746 The Duke of Cumberland obtained a complete
victory over the Rebel forces at _Culloden_, four
miles from Inverness 8
---- The 57th regiment marched from Berwick towards
London -
---- Strength of the Royal army at the battle of
Culloden -
1747 The rebellion suppressed, and the Prince Charles
escaped to France 9
---- The 57th regiment embarked for Jersey -
---- Several regiments, which had been brought from
the continent to aid in suppressing the rebellion,
returned to Flanders -
---- The Duke of Cumberland returned to Flanders
and engaged the French at Laffeld, or Val -
1748 The Allies took the field in the summer, but
hostilities were terminated by the treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle, in October -
---- Disbandment of the 43rd regiment, and of ten
marine regiments, from the 44th to the 53rd
regiment 10
---- The numerical title of the 57th regiment changed
to the FORTY-SIXTH regiment --
1749 The FORTY-SIXTH regiment proceeded to Ireland --
1751 Royal Warrant of 1st July issued for regulating
the clothing, standards, and colours, and the
numerical titles and rank of regiments --
1756 Capture of the Island of Minorca by the French 11
---- War declared against France --
1757 The FORTY-SIXTH regiment embarked from Cork
for Nova Scotia --
1758 Expedition under Major-General James Abercromby
against Ticonderoga --
---- Brigadier-General the Viscount Howe (55th Regiment)
killed at Ticonderoga --
1758 Attack on Fort Ticonderoga abandoned 12
---- Loss of officers sustained by the FORTY-SIXTH
regiment --
1759 Plan of the campaign in Canada 13
---- Brigadier-General Prideaux (55th regiment)
killed at Fort Niagara --
---- Capture of Fort Niagara 15
---- Operations of the troops under Lieut.-General
Amherst and Major-General Wolfe --
---- Siege of Ticonderoga --
---- Occupation of Crown Point --
---- Battle on the Heights of Abraham; death of
Major-Gen. Wolfe; and capture of Quebec --
1760 The French attempted to regain Quebec, and the
battle of Sillery was fought 16
---- Surrender of Fort Levi on L'Isle Royale --
---- Attack and surrender of the garrison of Montreal 17
---- The conquest of Canada completed --
1761 The regiment embarked for Barbadoes --
1762 Proceeded with an armament against the Island
of Martinique, which surrendered to the
British Crown --
---- The surrender of Grenada, St. Lucia, and St.
Vincent 18
---- War declared against Spain --
---- The regiment joined the armament against the
Havannah --
---- Capture of the Moro Fort, and town of Havannah 19
---- Negotiations for peace signed at Fontainebleau --
1763 The Treaty of Fontainebleau concluded at Paris,
and peace proclaimed in London --
---- Conditions of the treaty of peace between Great
Britain, France, and Spain --
---- The regiment returned to North America --
1764 Colonel Hon. William Howe appointed to the
colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General
Hon. Thomas Murray, deceased 20
1767 Regiment returned from North America and
stationed in Ireland --
---- Disputes arose between the colonists of North
America and the British Government --
1775 Hostilities commenced with the colonists in North
America by the action at Lexington --
---- Appointment of Colonel Hon. John Vaughan to
the colonelcy in succession to Major-General
Hon. William Howe --
---- The battle of Bunker's Hill --
1776 The regiment embarked from Ireland for North
America 21
---- Joined the expedition against Charleston --
---- Proceeded to Staten Island --
---- The declaration of Independence by the American
Congress --
---- The regiment landed on Long Island --
---- Action at Brooklyn 22
---- The reduction of Long Island accomplished --
---- The capture of New York took place --
---- Action at White Plains --
---- The reduction of Fort Washington --
---- The regiment occupied winter-quarters at Amboy --
1777 Proceeded with a body of troops from New
York, and destroyed magazines, barracks, &c.,
at Peek's Hill, and returned to New York 23
---- Joined an expedition against the city of Philadelphia --
---- Battle at Brandywine --
---- The American troops, under General Wayne
surprised by the British, under Major-Gen.
Grey 24
1777 The FORTY-SIXTH regiment gained the distinction
of wearing _Red Feathers_ for its conduct in
this action 24
---- The British army took possession of Philadelphia,
and occupied a position at Germantown 25
---- Action at Germantown --
1778 General Hon. Sir William Howe returned to
England, and General Sir Henry Clinton assumed
the command of the army --
---- Action at Monmouth Court-House --
---- The British army marched from Philadelphia to
New York, the King of France having engaged
to aid the Americans --
---- A powerful French armament arrived off the
Port of New York and proceeded against
Rhode Island --
---- Expedition against Bedford, on the Accushnet
river, and against Martha's Vineyard 26
---- Returned to New York --
---- Proceeded with other regiments to the West Indies --
---- Attack upon the island of St. Lucia 27
---- Repelled several attacks made by the French --
---- The flank companies of the FORTY-SIXTH regiment
distinguished themselves at La Vigie,
and received the thanks of Major-General
James Grant commanding the troops 28
---- Surrender of the Island of St. Lucia to the
British troops --
1779 The courts of Spain and Holland joined in hostilities
against Great Britain --
1782 The regiment returned to England 29
---- County titles conferred upon the regiments of
Infantry, and the FORTY-SIXTH directed to
assume the designation of _South Devonshire_
regiment --
1782 Treaty of peace signed at Paris between Great
Britain and the United States of America 29
1783 Treaties of peace between England, France,
Spain, and Holland --
1784 The regiment proceeded from Plymouth to
Ireland 30
1792 Embarked for Gibraltar --
1794 Proceeded from Gibraltar to the West Indies --
1795 Engaged in suppressing the insurrection of the
Caribs in the Island of St. Vincent --
---- Actions at Dorsetshire Hill 32
---- Loss sustained by the regiment --
---- Assault and capture of the post of the Caribs on
the Vigie 33
---- Major-General James Henry Craig appointed to
the colonelcy of the regiment in succession to
Lieut.-General Hon. Sir John Vaughan, K.B.
deceased --
---- Reinforcements arrived from England in order
to assist in the suppression of the Caribs --
1796 Further reinforcements arrived under Lieut.-General
Sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B. --
---- After a conflict of some hours the Caribs surrendered
prisoners of war 34
---- Several hundreds of Caribs escaped to the woods,
but were afterwards forced to submit, and
were removed from St. Vincent --
---- The FORTY-SIXTH regiment having sustained
considerable loss by their numerous engagements
with the Caribs, returned to England --
1799 The regiment embarked for Ireland --
1802 Treaty of peace with France concluded at Amiens --
1803 War renewed with France --
1804 Appointment of Lieut.-General John White
to the colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General
Sir James Henry Craig 35
1804 Embarked from Cork for the West Indies, and
proceeded to Dominica 35
1805 Defence of Dominica against an attack of a numerous
French force --
---- Official Reports from Lieut.-General Sir William
Myers, and Brigadier-General George Prevost
of the conduct of the troops engaged in the
defence of Dominica --
---- The Royal authority granted for the FORTY-SIXTH
regiment to bear the word "_Dominica_"
on the regimental colour and appointments. 44
1806 Detachments embarked for the capture of two
French vessels 45
---- The officers and men received the thanks of the
Commander of the Forces in the West Indies,
and of the Major-General commanding in the
Island of Dominica --
1809 Capture of the French island of Martinique 46
1810 Capture of the French island of Guadaloupe --
1811 The regiment returned to England and marched
into Devonshire 47
1812 The regiment proceeded from Plymouth to Jersey 48
1813 Embarked from Jersey for Portsmouth, and proceeded
to the Isle of Wight --
---- Embarked for New South Wales 49
1814 Arrived at New South Wales, and inspected by
Major-General Macquarie --
1815 Certain non-commissioned officers and privates
received pecuniary rewards for having suppressed
gangs of bushrangers 50
1816 Appointment of Lieut.-General Henry Wynyard
to the colonelcy in succession to General
Whyte, deceased --
---- Detachments employed against the hostile black
natives, and received an expression of thanks
for their conduct on this duty 51
1817 Embarked at Sydney Cove for Madras 52
1818 Arrived at Vellore, and proceeded thence to
Fort St. George --
---- Received the approbation of the Commanding
Officer of the Troops at Vellore for its interior
arrangement and discipline --
1820 Marched to Bellary, and thence to the Mahratta
country 53
1824 Engaged in suppressing an insurrection at the
Fort of Kittoor --
---- Inspected by Major-General Hall commanding
at Bellary, and received his approbation for
its very efficient state 54
1825 Proceeded to Cannanore 55
1826 Marched from Cannanore to Secunderabad 56
1829 Reduction of the Establishment --
1832 Proceeded to Masulipatam, and received orders
to prepare for embarkation for England 57
1833 Received the approbation of its conduct during
the period of its service in India, from the
Right Hon. the Governor in Council --
---- Embarked at Madras, arrived at Margate, and
marched to Canterbury 58
---- Received official intimation respecting the continuance
of the use of the _Red ball tuft_ by the
Light Company for its gallant conduct in the
surprise of Gen. Wayne in America in 1777 59
1834 Embarked for Ireland --
1837 Formed into six service, and four depôt companies;
the service companies embarked for Gibraltar 60
1838 Appointment of Lieut.-General Sir John Keane,
K.C.B., to the colonelcy, in succession to General
Wynyard, deceased --
---- Depôt companies embarked from Ireland for
Plymouth --
1839 Appointment of Lieut.-General John Ross to the
colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General Sir
John Keane 60
---- Depôt companies embarked at Plymouth for
Jersey --
1841 Depôt companies proceeded to Ireland --
1842 Service companies embarked at Gibraltar for
Barbadoes --
1843 Appointment of General the Earl of Stair to
the colonelcy in succession to Lieut.-General
Ross, deceased 61
1845 The service companies collected at Barbadoes,
and embarked for Nova Scotia --
---- Embarked for Canada --
1847 Proceeded from Quebec to Nova Scotia 62
1848 Embarked for England --
---- Arrived at Dover, and joined by the depôt
companies from Guernsey --
1850 Proceeded from Liverpool to Hull --
1851 The Conclusion 63
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF
THE FORTY-SIXTH,
OR
THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT:
ORIGINALLY NUMBERED
THE FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Year Page
1741 John Price 67
1743 Honorable Thomas Murray 68
1764 William Viscount Howe, K.B. --
1775 Honorable Sir John Vaughan, K.B. 69
1795 Sir James Henry Craig, K.B. 70
1804 John Whyte 71
1816 Henry Wynyard --
1838 Sir John (afterwards Lord) Keane, G.C.B. & G.C.H. 73
1839 John Ross, C.B. 75
1843 John, Earl of Stair, K.T. 76
PLATES.
Costume of the Regiment _to face_ 1
Colours of the Regiment 66
[Illustration: FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.
_For Cannons Military Records_
_Madeley lith 3 Wellington S^t Strand_]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE FORTY-SIXTH,
OR THE
SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT;
ORIGINALLY NUMBERED
THE FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
[Sidenote: 1739]
The claim of the Spanish Government to the right of search, and
the aggressions committed by that power on the commerce of Great
Britain, in the West Indies, by the _guarda-costas_, and other
ships acting by authority of the King of Spain, contrary to the
existing treaties, led to a convention between the two Crowns,
which was concluded on the 14th of January, 1739. This convention
stipulated, that compensation should be made by Spain to the
English Government, in reparation for the hostilities committed on
the British subjects in the American seas. The Court of Madrid,
however, violated the convention, and ultimately war was proclaimed
against Spain on the 23rd of October, 1739.
Augmentations were accordingly made in the army and navy; ten
regiments of Marines were raised in this and the following year;
these corps were embarked on board the fleets under Admirals
Vernon and Sir Chaloner Ogle, which proceeded against the Spanish
possessions in South America.
[Sidenote: 1740]
While the war was being carried on between Great Britain and
Spain, Charles the Sixth, Emperor of Germany, died on the 20th of
October, 1740; and the succession of his daughter, the Archduchess
Maria Theresa, to his hereditary dominions, being disputed by
the Electors of Bavaria and Saxony, also by the Kings of Prussia
and Spain, a continental war was the result, in which England
and France, acting in the first instance as auxiliaries, finally
became principals in the contest, which has since been known as the
"_War of the Austrian Succession_." The King of France, Louis XV.,
supported the Elector of Bavaria, while King George II., adhering
to the "_Pragmatic Sanction_,"[6] to which nearly all the powers of
Europe had been parties, supported the claims of the Archduchess
Maria Theresa.
[Sidenote: 1741]
In January, 1741, seven additional regiments[7] were raised for
the regular Infantry, and were numbered in succession to the ten
regiments of marines, from the _Fifty-fourth_ to the _Sixtieth_
regiment.
The FIFTY-SEVENTH was one of these seven regiments, and the command
of the corps was conferred by King George II. on Colonel John
Price, from the First Foot Guards, whose commission was dated the
13th of January, 1741. The regiment consisted of ten companies,
of three serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and seventy
privates each; and its numbers, including officers, amounted to
eight hundred and fifteen.
[Sidenote: 1742]
In March, 1742, the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment was stationed at
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
In May, 1742, several regiments were embarked for Flanders under
Field Marshal the Earl of Stair, to support Maria Theresa, the
Queen of Hungary and Bohemia; but the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment
remained in Great Britain.
The FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment was afterwards stationed at Berwick, and
in October received orders to proceed to North Britain.
[Sidenote: 1743]
On the 23rd of June, 1743, Colonel the Honorable Thomas Murray,
from the Third Foot Guards, was promoted Colonel of the
FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment, in succession to Colonel John Price,
removed to the fourteenth foot.
In the meanwhile King George II. had joined the army at
Aschaffenberg, and on the 27th of June gained a victory over the
French army, under Marshal Noailles at _Dettingen_.
[Sidenote: 1744]
France and Great Britain, from auxiliaries, now became principals
in the contest. On the 20th of March, 1744, France declared
war against England, and on the 29th of that month a counter
declaration was made by Great Britain, in which the French monarch
was accused of violating the "_Pragmatic Sanction_," and of
assisting the son of the Pretender in his designs on the British
throne.
The operations of the British army in Flanders during the year 1744
were confined to the defensive, and no general engagement occurred.
[Sidenote: 1745]
After the battle of _Fontenoy_, fought on the 11th of May, 1745,
Louis XV. revived the claims of the Pretender[8] to the throne of
Great Britain. Prince Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender,
arrived in the Highlands of Scotland towards the end of July, where
he was joined by several clans.
The FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment at this period formed part of the force
in Scotland, and Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, the Commander
in Chief in North Britain, assembled all the troops under his
orders at Stirling, which consisted of about fourteen hundred
men. He afterwards advanced towards the great road called the
Chain, leading through the Highlands to Inverness, and after a
laborious march, arrived at Dalwhinny on the 25th of August.
Here intelligence was received that the rebels were posted at
Corryarrack, seventeen miles distant, upon which Lieut.-General
Sir John Cope continued his march through Badenoch to Inverness,
so that the south of Scotland was left unprotected, and the young
Pretender improved this unexpected advantage, and accordingly
entered the county of Athol, seized the Castle of Blair, proceeded
afterwards to Perth and Dundee, proclaiming his Father by new
magistrates of his own appointment, levying the public money,
and assuming other acts of royalty. The number of the rebels had
increased to four thousand men, and on the 11th of September the
young Chevalier marched from Perth, passed the Forth on the 13th,
and on the 16th of that month, at night, arrived in the vicinity
of Edinburgh. At five o'clock on the following morning the city
was unaccountably surrendered to him without resistance. He then
made his public entry, attired in Highland costume, and occupied
the royal palace of Holyrood House. General Guest, who commanded
the garrison of Edinburgh Castle, removed the bank, and the effects
of the principal inhabitants into that fortress, which greatly
disappointed the young Prince, who expected to gain possession
of the treasure. His Father was afterwards proclaimed with great
ceremony at the High Cross, as King of Great Britain and Ireland.
Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, in the meanwhile, had marched with
his troops from Inverness to Aberdeen, where they took shipping,
and landed at Dunbar, twenty-seven miles east of Edinburgh, on the
18th of September, when he was reinforced by Brigadier-General
Fowke, with two regiments of dragoons, from Edinburgh. The next day
he advanced towards that city to observe the disposition of the
rebels, who were now increased to upwards of five thousand men.
On the 20th of September Lieut.-General Sir John Cope encamped in
the neighbourhood of _Preston-Pans_,[9] near the sea, and seven
miles from Edinburgh. His army consisted of the following
regiments:--
Gardiner's (13th) and Hamilton's (14th) dragoons 567
Two companies of Guise's (6th) and eight of
Lascelles' (47th) foot 570
Five companies of Lee's (44th) regiment 291
Murray's (now 46th) regiment 580
Highlanders 183
-----
Total 2,191
-----
Information being received of the approach of the enemy, Sir John
Cope drew up his army at _Gladsmuir Heath_, between the hamlets of
_Preston-Pans_ and Cockenzie. About three o'clock on the morning
of the 21st of September, large bodies of rebel Highlanders were
in motion, and before daybreak a chosen band of these hardy
mountaineers advanced with great celerity and intrepidity to attack
the royalists. As they drew near, they raised a fearful yell, fired
a volley, threw down their muskets, and rushed sword in hand upon
the troops which guarded the artillery. The sudden advance of the
Highlanders in the dark, their superior numbers, and peculiar mode
of fighting, dismayed the two hundred soldiers appointed to guard
the artillery on the right, who saw themselves assaulted by more
than three times their own numbers, and as they caught the gleam of
steel flashing in their faces, gave way and fled. The two hundred
and fifty dragoons on the right, seeing the artillery lost, became
disheartened; they advanced to charge a large mass of Highlanders,
but observing the disparity of numbers, they were seized with a
panic and galloped from the field.
This inauspicious commencement of the action damped the spirits
of the infantry, and the panic spread from rank to rank; several
companies made resistance, and feats of valour were displayed
by individuals and small parties; all semblance of order was,
however, soon lost, and a confused rout ensued.
About four hundred of the royal forces were killed or wounded, and
the prisoners, who amounted to nearly twelve hundred men, were
removed to Edinburgh, and afterwards to the Highlands.
The FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment had the following officers taken
prisoners: Lieut.-Colonel Clayton, Major Talbot, Captains Reid,
John Cochran, Scot, Thomas Leslie, and Blackes; Lieutenants Thomas
Hay, Cranston, Disney, Wale, Wry, and Simms; Ensigns Sutherland,
Lucey, Holdane, Birnie, and L'Estrange; and Adjutant Spencer.