TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been
placed at the end of each major section.
A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}, for example S^t or Esq^{re}.
Some minor changes to the text 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 TWENTY-SECOND,
OR
THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1689,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1849.
COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.
ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.
LONDON:
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
30, CHARING-CROSS.
MDCCCXLIX.
GENERAL ORDERS.
_HORSE-GUARDS_,
_1st January, 1836_.
His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing
the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have
distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy,
an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army
shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the
Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following
particulars, viz.:--
---- The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of
the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time
employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations in
which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achievement
it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have
captured from the Enemy.
---- The Names of the Officers, and the number of Non-Commissioned
Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying
the place and Date of the Action.
---- The Names of those Officers who, in consideration of their
Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the
Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks
of His Majesty's gracious favour.
---- The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and
Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action.
And,
---- The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been
permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges
or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.
By Command of the Right Honorable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
_Commanding-in-Chief_.
JOHN MACDONALD,
_Adjutant-General_.
PREFACE.
The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend
upon the zeal and ardour by which all who enter into its service are
animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any
measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone
great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted.
Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable
object than a full display of the noble deeds with which the Military
History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples
to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to
emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in
their honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to
the present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the
"London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public
prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the
time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and
admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions,
the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the
Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders,
expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery;
and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their
Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most
highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which
appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies)
for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services
and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in
obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account
of their origin and subsequent services.
This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty
having been pleased to command that every Regiment shall, in future,
keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad.
From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth
derive information as to the difficulties and privations which
chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In
Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to
the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and
where these pursuits have, for so long a period, being undisturbed
by the _presence of war_, which few other countries have escaped,
comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service
and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the
British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or
no interval of repose.
In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the country
derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist
and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to
reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor,--on
their sufferings,--and on the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so
many national benefits are obtained and preserved.
The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance,
have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and
their character has been established in Continental warfare by the
irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in
spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and
steadiness with which they have maintained their advantages against
superior numbers.
In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, ample
justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions of the
Corps employed; but the details of their services and of acts of
individual bravery can only be fully given in the Annals of the
various Regiments.
These Records are now preparing for publication, under his Majesty's
special authority, by Mr. RICHARD CANNON, Principal Clerk of the
Adjutant General's Office; and while the perusal of them cannot fail
to be useful and interesting to military men of every rank, it is
considered that they will also afford entertainment and information
to the general reader, particularly to those who may have served in
the Army, or who have relatives in the Service.
There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or
are serving, in the Army, an _Esprit de Corps_--an attachment to
everything belonging to their Regiment; to such persons a narrative
of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting.
Authentic accounts of the actions of the great, the valiant, the
loyal, have always been of paramount interest with a brave and
civilized people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who,
in moments of danger and terror, have stood "firm as the rocks
of their native shore:" and when half the world has been arrayed
against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with
unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in
war,--victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen,
our brothers, our fellow citizens in arms,--a record which revives
the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before
us,--will certainly prove acceptable to the public.
Biographical Memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers
will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments,
and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been
conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance
of its services, will be faithfully set forth.
As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will
be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be
completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.
INTRODUCTION
TO
THE INFANTRY.
The natives of Britain have, at all periods, been celebrated for
innate courage and unshaken firmness, and the national superiority
of the British troops over those of other countries has been evinced
in the midst of the most imminent perils. History contains so
many proofs of extraordinary acts of bravery, that no doubts can
be raised upon the facts which are recorded. It must therefore be
admitted, that the distinguishing feature of the British soldier is
INTREPIDITY. This quality was evinced by the inhabitants of England
when their country was invaded by Julius Cæsar with a Roman army,
on which occasion the undaunted Britons rushed into the sea to
attack the Roman soldiers as they descended from their ships; and,
although their discipline and arms were inferior to those of their
adversaries, yet their fierce and dauntless bearing intimidated the
flower of the Roman troops, including Cæsar's favourite tenth legion.
Their arms consisted of spears, short swords, and other weapons of
rude construction. They had chariots, to the axles of which were
fastened sharp pieces of iron resembling scythe-blades, and infantry
in long chariots resembling waggons, who alighted and fought on
foot, and for change of ground, pursuit or retreat, sprang into the
chariot and drove off with the speed of cavalry. These inventions
were, however, unavailing against Cæsar's legions: in the course
of time a military system, with discipline and subordination, was
introduced, and British courage, being thus regulated, was exerted to
the greatest advantage; a full development of the national character
followed, and it shone forth in all its native brilliancy.
The military force of the Anglo Saxons consisted principally of
infantry: Thanes, and other men of property, however, fought on
horseback. The infantry were of two classes, heavy and light. The
former carried large shields armed with spikes, long broad swords and
spears; and the latter were armed with swords or spears only. They
had also men armed with clubs, others with battle-axes and javelins.
The feudal troops established by William the Conqueror consisted (as
already stated in the Introduction to the Cavalry) almost entirely
of horse; but when the warlike barons and knights, with their trains
of tenants and vassals, took the field, a proportion of men appeared
on foot, and, although these were of inferior degree, they proved
stout-hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipendiary troops
were employed, infantry always constituted a considerable portion of
the military force; and this _arme_ has since acquired, in every
quarter of the globe, a celebrity never exceeded by the armies of any
nation at any period.
The weapons carried by the infantry, during the several reigns
succeeding the Conquest, were bows and arrows, half-pikes, lances,
halberds, various kinds of battle-axes, swords, and daggers. Armour
was worn on the head and body, and in course of time the practice
became general for military men to be so completely cased in steel,
that it was almost impossible to slay them.
The introduction of the use of gunpowder in the destructive purposes
of war, in the early part of the fourteenth century, produced a
change in the arms and equipment of the infantry-soldier. Bows and
arrows gave place to various kinds of fire-arms, but British archers
continued formidable adversaries; and, owing to the inconvenient
construction and imperfect bore of the fire-arms when first
introduced, a body of men, well trained in the use of the bow from
their youth, was considered a valuable acquisition to every army,
even as late as the sixteenth century.
During a great part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth each company
of infantry usually consisted of men armed five different ways; in
every hundred men forty were "_men-at-arms_," and sixty "_shot_;" the
"men-at-arms" were ten halberdiers, or battle-axe men, and thirty
pikemen; and the "shot" were twenty archers, twenty musketeers, and
twenty harquebusiers, and each man carried, besides his principal
weapon, a sword and dagger.
Companies of infantry varied at this period in numbers from 150
to 300 men; each company had a colour or ensign, and the mode of
formation recommended by an English military writer (Sir John Smithe)
in 1590 was:--the colour in the centre of the company guarded by the
halberdiers; the pikemen in equal proportions, on each flank of the
halberdiers; half the musketeers on each flank of the pikes; half
the archers on each flank of the musketeers, and the harquebusiers
(whose arms were much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal
proportions on each flank of the company for skirmishing.[1] It
was customary to unite a number of companies into one body, called
a REGIMENT, which frequently amounted to three thousand men: but
each company continued to carry a colour. Numerous improvements
were eventually introduced in the construction of fire-arms, and,
it having been found impossible to make armour proof against the
muskets then in use (which carried a very heavy ball) without its
being too weighty for the soldier, armour was gradually laid aside by
the infantry in the seventeenth century: bows and arrows also fell
into disuse, and the infantry were reduced to two classes, viz.:
_musketeers_, armed with matchlock muskets, swords, and daggers; and
_pikemen_, armed with pikes from fourteen to eighteen feet long, and
swords.
In the early part of the seventeenth century Gustavus Adolphus, King
of Sweden, reduced the strength of regiments to 1000 men. He caused
the gunpowder, which had heretofore been carried in flasks, or in
small wooden bandoliers, each containing a charge, to be made up
into cartridges, and carried in pouches; and he formed each regiment
into two wings of musketeers, and a centre division of pikemen. He
also adopted the practice of forming four regiments into a brigade;
and the number of colours was afterwards reduced to three in each
regiment. He formed his columns so compactly that his infantry could
resist the charge of the celebrated Polish horsemen and Austrian
cuirassiers; and his armies became the admiration of other nations.
His mode of formation was copied by the English, French, and other
European states; but so great was the prejudice in favour of ancient
customs, that all his improvements were not adopted until near a
century afterwards.
In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-service, styled the
Admiral's regiment. In 1678 each company of 100 men usually consisted
of 30 pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with light firelocks.
In this year the King added a company of men armed with hand grenades
to each of the old British regiments, which was designated the
"grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived as to fit in the
muzzles of the muskets, and bayonets similar to those at present in
use were adopted about twenty years afterwards.
An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1685, by order of King James II.,
to guard the artillery, and was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now
7th Foot). This corps, and the companies of grenadiers, did not carry
pikes.
King William III. incorporated the Admiral's regiment in the second
Foot Guards, and raised two Marine regiments for sea-service.
During the war in this reign, each company of infantry (excepting
the fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14 pikemen and 46
musketeers; the captains carried pikes; lieutenants, partisans;
ensigns, half-pikes; and serjeants, halberds. After the peace in 1697
the Marine regiments were disbanded, but were again formed on the
breaking out of the war in 1702.[2]
During the reign of Queen Anne the pikes were laid aside, and every
infantry soldier was armed with a musket, bayonet, and sword; the
grenadiers ceased, about the same period, to carry hand grenades;
and the regiments were directed to lay aside their third colour: the
corps of Royal Artillery was first added to the Army in this reign.
About the year 1745, the men of the battalion companies of infantry
ceased to carry swords; during the reign of George II. light
companies were added to infantry regiments; and in 1764 a Board of
General Officers recommended that the grenadiers should lay aside
their swords, as that weapon had never been used during the Seven
Years' War. Since that period the arms of the infantry soldier have
been limited to the musket and bayonet.
The arms and equipment of the British Troops have seldom differed
materially, since the Conquest, from those of other European states;
and in some respects the arming has, at certain periods, been allowed
to be inferior to that of the nations with whom they have had to
contend; yet, under this disadvantage, the bravery and superiority of
the British infantry have been evinced on very many and most trying
occasions, and splendid victories have been gained over very superior
numbers.
Great Britain has produced a race of lion-like champions who have
dared to confront a host of foes, and have proved themselves valiant
with any arms. At _Crecy_, King Edward III., at the head of about
30,000 men, defeated, on the 26th of August, 1346, Philip King of
France, whose army is said to have amounted to 100,000 men; here
British valour encountered veterans of renown:--the King of Bohemia,
the King of Majorca, and many princes and nobles were slain, and
the French army was routed and cut to pieces. Ten years afterwards,
Edward Prince of Wales, who was designated the Black Prince,
defeated, at _Poictiers_, with 14,000 men, a French army of 60,000
horse, besides infantry, and took John I., King of France, and his
son Philip, prisoners. On the 25th of October, 1415, King Henry
V., with an army of about 13,000 men, although greatly exhausted by
marches, privations, and sickness, defeated, at _Agincourt_, the
Constable of France, at the head of the flower of the French nobility
and an army said to amount to 60,000 men, and gained a complete
victory.
During the seventy years' war between the United Provinces of the
Netherlands and the Spanish monarchy, which commenced in 1578 and
terminated in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the
States-General were celebrated for their unconquerable spirit and
firmness;[3] and in the thirty years' war between the Protestant
Princes and the Emperor of Germany, the British Troops in the
service of Sweden and other states were celebrated for deeds of
heroism.[4] In the wars of Queen Anne, the fame of the British army
under the great MARLBOROUGH was spread throughout the world; and
if we glance at the achievements performed within the memory of
persons now living, there is abundant proof that the Britons of the
present age are not inferior to their ancestors in the qualities
which constitute good soldiers. Witness the deeds of the brave men,
of whom there are many now surviving, who fought in Egypt in 1801,
under the brave Abercromby, and compelled the French army, which had
been vainly styled _Invincible_, to evacuate that country; also the
services of the gallant Troops during the arduous campaigns in the
Peninsula, under the immortal WELLINGTON; and the determined stand
made by 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 TWENTY-SECOND,
OR
THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,
BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR
THE WORDS
"SCINDE," "MEEANEE," AND "HYDERABAD,"
IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY
IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE AMEERS OF SCINDE,
DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE YEAR 1843;
AND PARTICULARLY IN THE TWO DECISIVE BATTLES
OF MEEANEE AND HYDERABAD,
FOUGHT AT THOSE PLACES, RESPECTIVELY,
ON THE 17th OF FEBRUARY, AND ON THE 24th OF MARCH, 1843.
THE TWENTY-SECOND,
OR
THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
CONTENTS
OF THE
HISTORICAL RECORD.
YEAR PAGE
INTRODUCTION.
1689 Formation of the Regiment 1
---- Henry, Duke of Norfolk appointed to the Colonelcy -
---- Numbered the Twenty-Second Regiment -
---- Stationed at Chester -
---- Embarked for Ireland -
---- Engaged at the siege of Carrickfergus 2
---- Marched to Dundalk, and thence to Armagh -
---- Sir Henry Bellasis, from the Sixth Regiment,
appointed to the Colonelcy, in succession to
the Duke of Norfolk -
1690 Engaged at the _Battle of the Boyne_ -
---- Reviewed by King William at _Finglass_ -
---- Advanced against Athlone -
---- Rejoined the Army -
---- Employed at the first siege of Limerick -
---- Proceeded into winter-quarters -
---- Engaged with the Rapparees -
1691 Proceeded with the Army against _Ballymore_ 3
1691 Engaged in the Siege and Capture of _Athlone_ 3
---- Engaged at the Battle of _Aghrim_ -
---- Engaged at the Capture of _Galway_ -
---- ------------------------ _Limerick_ 4
---- Termination of the War in Ireland -
1695 Proceeded to join the Army in Flanders -
1696 Returned to England -
1697 Treaty of Peace concluded at _Ryswick_ -
1698 Re-embarked for Ireland 5
1701 Appointment of Brigadier-General William
Selwyn, by exchange, from the Second Foot,
with Lieut.-General Sir Henry Bellasis -
1702 Accession of Queen Anne on the demise of King
William III -
---- Regiment embarked for Jamaica -
---- Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Handasyd
to the Colonelcy, in succession to Major-General
Selwyn, deceased -
1705 Establishment augmented by two companies -
1712 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Roger Handasyd to
the Colonelcy, in succession to his Father,
Major-General Thomas Handasyd, retired 6
1713 Treaty of Peace concluded at Utrecht -
1714 Regiment returned to England, leaving two
Independent Companies at Jamaica -
1715 Employed in recruiting its Establishment -
1718 Embarked for _Ireland_ -
1726 ------------ _Minorca_ -
1727 Detachment embarked for _Gibraltar_ to assist in
its Defence against the Spaniards -
1730 Appointment of Colonel William Barrel, from
the Twenty-Eighth Regiment, to the Colonelcy,
in succession to Colonel Roger Handasyd,
removed to the Sixteenth Regiment -
1734 Appointment of Colonel Hon. James St. Clair to
the Colonelcy, in succession to Colonel William
Barrell, removed to the Fourth Foot 7
1737 Appointment of Major-General John Moyle,
from the Thirty-Sixth Regiment, to the Colonelcy,
in succession to Colonel Hon. James
St. Clair, removed to the First, or Royal Regiment
of Foot -
1738 Promotion of Colonel Thomas Paget to the
Colonelcy, in succession to Major-General
Moyle, deceased -
1741 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Richard O'Farrell,
from the Ninth Regiment, to the Colonelcy, in
succession to Colonel Paget, deceased -
1748 Treaty of Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle -
1749 Regiment relieved at Minorca and proceeded to
Ireland -
1751 Royal Warrant, dated 1st July, issued for regulating
the Clothing, Colours, Numbers,
Facings, Badges, Mottos, and Distinctions of
the Regiments of Cavalry and Infantry -
1756 War declared against France -
---- Regiment embarked from Ireland for North America -
1757 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Edward Whitmore
from the Thirty-Sixth Regiment to the Colonelcy,
in succession to Major-General
O'Farrell, deceased 8
1758 Engaged in the siege of _Louisburg_, and the
Capture of the Island of _Cape Breton_ -
1759 The Grenadier Company, incorporated with the
Louisburg Grenadiers,--Engaged at the Battle
of Quebec 9
1760 Embarked from Louisburg, proceeded to
_Quebec_, and advanced to _Montreal_ -
---- Engaged in the conquest of the Canadas -
1761 Proceeded to New York, and embarked for the
_West Indies_ 9
---- Engaged in the capture of the Island of _Dominica_ 10
1762 Engaged in the Capture of _Martinique_, _Grenada_,
_St. Lucia_, and _St. Vincent_ --
---- Embarked with the expedition against the
_Havannah_ --
---- Storming and Capture of _Fort Moro_ 11
---- Appointment of Major-General Honorable
Thomas Gage to the Colonelcy, in succession
to Major-General Whitmore, drowned at sea --
1763 Treaty of Peace concluded at Fontainebleau --
---- The Havannah restored to Spain, in exchange
for the Province of Florida, in South America --
---- Regiment proceeded to West Florida --
1765 Embarked for Great Britain --
1773 Proceeded to Ireland --
1775 Embarked for North America 12
---- Engaged at the Battle of Bunker's Hill --
1776 Quitted Boston, and proceeded to Nova Scotia --
---- Embarked for Staten Island, near New York --
---- Landed on Long Island, and engaged with the
Americans at Brooklyn --
---- Gained possession of New York, captured Fort
Washington, and reduced part of the Jerseys 13
---- Detached with other Corps and captured Rhode
Island --
1778 The King of France having united with the
Americans, made preparations for the re-capture
of Rhode Island, but was compelled
to abandon the siege 14
1779 The British Commander-in-Chief resolved to
vacate Rhode Island; the Regiment proceeded
to New York 15
1782 Appointment of Major-General Charles O'Hara to the
Colonelcy, in succession to General the Honorable
Thomas Gage, removed to the Seventeenth Light Dragoons 15
---- Regiment received instructions to assume the title of
_the Twenty-Second_, or _the Cheshire Regiment_ --
1783 The American War having terminated, the regiment
embarked for England --
1785 Regiment stationed at Windsor and furnished the Guards
at the Castle --
---- King George the III. authorized an _Order of Merit_ to
be instituted in the corps --
1787 Proceeded to Jersey and Guernsey, and thence to
Portsmouth 16
1788 Proceeded to Chatham and Dover --
1790 Embarked for Ireland --
1791 Appointment of Major-General David Dundas to the
Colonelcy, in succession to Major-General O'Hara,
removed to the Seventy-Fourth Highlanders 17
1793 War commenced between Great Britain and France --
---- Regiment embarked for the West Indies --
1794 Capture of the Island of Martinique --
---- ---- ---- St. Lucia --
---- ---- ---- Guadaloupe --
---- ---- ---- St. Domingo --
1795 Returned to England from St. Domingo 18
---- Appointment of Major-General William Crosbie, from the
Eighty-Ninth Regiment, to the Colonelcy, in succession
to Lieut.-General Dundas, removed to the Seventh Light
Dragoons --
1798 Proceeded to Guernsey --
1798 Appointment of Major-General John G. Simcoe, from the
Eighty-First Regiment, to the Colonelcy, in succession
to Major-General Crosbie, deceased 18
1799 Removed to Portsmouth 19
---- Authorized to enlist boys or lads with a view to being
sent to the Cape of Good Hope, preparatory to being
embarked for service in the East Indies --
1800 Embarked for the Cape of Good Hope --
1802 Proceeded to India 20
1803 Arrival at Calcutta --
---- The flank companies embarked, and joined the field force
assembled for the attack of the province of Cuttack --
---- Flank Companies engaged at the Capture of the fort of
Barrabatta by storm --
1804 Joined the army under Lord Lake and engaged in the siege
of Bhurtpore 21
1805 Marched from _Fort William_ and encamped at _Benares_,
thence proceeded to _Cawnpore_ --
---- Siege of Bhurtpore continued, and the Flank Companies
distinguished themselves in three unsuccessful attacks --
---- _Rajah Sing_ submitted and concluded a treaty of peace 22
---- British army withdrew from Bhurtpore --
---- The Flank Companies rejoined the regiment at Cawnpore --
---- _Holkar_ and _Scindia_ concluded Treaties of Peace --
1806 Marched from the banks of the Sutlej to _Delhi_ --
---- Removed to Muttra, and received the thanks of the
Governor-General in Council and of General Lord Lake,
Commander-in-Chief, for its conduct during the war --
1806 Appointment of Lieut.-General Sir James Henry Craig,
K. B., in succession to General Simcoe, deceased 22
1807 Proceeded to Berhampore --
1809 Appointment of Major-General the Honorable Edward Finch
to the Colonelcy, in succession to General Sir James
Henry Craig, removed to the Seventy-eighth Highlanders --
1810 Embarked at Fort William, and formed part of the
expedition against the Mauritius --
---- Engaged in the capture of the Mauritius 23
1811 Detachment employed at Tamatave in the Island of
Madagascar --
1812 Proceeded to Bourbon --
1813 Removed a second time to the Mauritius --
1814 A second Battalion added to the establishment of the
regiment, which was reduced in the same year --
1815 The Flank Companies rejoined the regiment at the
Mauritius from Hindoostan 24
1819 Embarked for England from the Mauritius --
---- Landed at Gosport and marched to Northampton 25
1821 Marched to Liverpool and embarked for Ireland --
1822 Detachment proceeded against a body of armed men
assembled at Newmarket in county of Cork. The officers
commanding this detachment received the thanks of
H. R. H. the Duke of York, and were presented with a
silver cup by the gentlemen and inhabitants of the
Town of Newmarket, for attacking and defeating this
body of insurgents --
1826 Formed into six Service and four Depôt Companies
preparatory to embarkation for foreign service 26
---- Service Companies embarked for Jamaica --
1830 Depôt Companies embarked for England 27
1831 Service Companies employed in suppressing an
insurrection among the slaves in Jamaica --
1836 Depôt Companies embarked for Ireland --
1837 Service Companies embarked from Jamaica for Ireland,
and rejoined by the Depôt Companies --
1840 Embarked from Ireland for England --
1841 Embarked for Bombay and proceeded to Poonah 28
1842 Proceeded to _Scinde_, and encamped at Kurrachee --
1843 Employed in the destruction of the Fort of _Emaum Ghur_ --
---- The march through the Desert to Emaum Ghur, as described
by Major-General William E. P. Napier 29
---- The troops returned triumphant to Peer-Abu-Bekr 30
---- Treaty of Peace with the Ameers of Scinde --
---- Treacherous attack upon the British residency at
_Hyderabad_, and gallant defence made by the _Light
Company_ of the _Twenty-Second_ regiment --
---- Light Company joined the army under Major-General Sir
Charles Napier 31
---- Battle of Meeanee --
---- Surrender of six Ameers on the field of battle --
---- British Colours planted on the Fortress of Hyderabad 32
---- Details of the defeat of the Beloochees at Meeanee --
---- Gallant conduct of the Twenty-Second regiment 34
---- Threatened attack by Mere Shere Mahomed 36
---- Battle of Hyderabad --
---- Flight of Mere Shere Mahomed to the desert 37
---- Particulars of the march of the British troops through
the desert --
1843 Honors and distinctions conferred by Queen Victoria, and
by the British Parliament, on the Twenty-second
regiment for its conduct in the Campaign of Scinde 38
---- Address of Major-General Sir Charles Napier to the troops
in distributing the medals conferred on them for their
gallantry in this campaign 40
---- Marched from Hyderabad to Kurrachee 42
---- Directed to proceed to Bombay, and Major-General Sir
Charles Napier's order on the occasion 43
---- Embarked for Bombay --
---- Honorable reception of the Regiment at Bombay --
---- Appointment of Major-General Sir Charles Napier to the
Colonelcy, in succession to General Honorable E. Finch,
deceased 44
1844 Employed on field-service in the Kolapore districts --
---- Capture of Forts _Punalla_ and _Pownghur_ --
---- Operations in the Sawunt-Warree district 45
---- Investments of the Forts of Monuhurr and Monsentosh --
1845 Capture of the village of Seevapore and other Forts --
---- Returned to Poonah --
1846 Marched to Bombay 46
1847 Removed to Poonah --
1849 Proceeded to Bombay --
---- Conclusion --
Description of the Standards captured at the battles of
Meeanee and Hyderabad, and of the Medal conferred in
honor of the victories obtained at those places 47
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF
THE TWENTY-SECOND,
OR
THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
YEAR PAGE
1689 Henry Duke of Norfolk 48
---- Sir Henry Bellasis, Kt. 49
1701 William Selwyn 51
1702 Thomas Handasyd --
1712 Roger Handasyd 52
1730 William Barrell --
1734 _Hon._ James St. Clair --
1737 John Moyle 53
1738 Thomas Paget 54
1741 Richard O'Farrell --
1757 Edward Whitmore --
1762 _Hon._ Thomas Gage 55
1782 Charles O'Hara 56
1791 David Dundas 57
1795 William Crosbie 59
1798 John Graves Simcoe 60
1806 Sir James Henry Craig, K.B. 61
1809 _Hon._ Edward Finch 62
1843 Sir Charles James Napier, G.C.B. 63
PLATES.
Colours of the Regiment _to face_ 1
Costume of the Regiment 32
Engraving of the Beloochee Standard captured at the
Battle of Meeanee in 1843; and of the Silver
Medal conferred on the Officers and Men engaged
in the Battles of Meeanee and Hyderabad 47
[Illustration: TWENTY-SECOND REGIMENT.
QUEEN'S COLOUR.
REGIMENTAL COLOUR.
FOR CANNON'S MILITARY RECORDS.
_Madeley lith. 3 Wellington S^t. Strand_]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE TWENTY-SECOND,
OR
THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
[Sidenote: 1689]
The accession of King William III. and Queen Mary, in February,
1689, was welcomed in England with anticipations of security to the
civil and religious institutions of the country, and of prosperity
in every branch of national industry; but in Ireland the majority
of the people adhered to the interests of the Stuart dynasty, and a
body of troops was raised in England, for the deliverance of that
country from the power of King James, who had landed there with
an armament from France. On this occasion HENRY, DUKE OF NORFOLK,
evinced zeal for the principles of the Revolution, and raised a
regiment of pikemen and musketeers, to which a company of grenadiers
was attached; and the corps raised under the auspices of his Grace
now bears the title of the TWENTY-SECOND, or the CHESHIRE REGIMENT OF
FOOT.
Having been speedily completed in numbers, equipped, and disciplined,
the regiment was encamped near Chester in the early part of August,
and soon afterwards embarked for Ireland, with the forces commanded
by Marshal Duke Schomberg. On landing in Ireland, the siege of
_Carrickfergus_ was commenced, and the garrison of that fortress was
forced to surrender in a few days.
From Carrickfergus, the regiment marched with the army to Dundalk,
where the troops were encamped on low and wet ground, and suffered
much in their health.
While the regiment was encamped at Dundalk, the Duke of Norfolk was
succeeded in the colonelcy by Sir Henry Bellasis, who had commanded
the Sixth regiment of foot when it was in the Dutch service.
On the 7th of November the regiment commenced its march from Dundalk
for Armagh, for winter-quarters.
[Sidenote: 1690]
In the summer of 1690, the regiment had the honour to serve at the
battle of the _Boyne_, under the eye of its Sovereign, who commanded
the army in Ireland in person; and on this occasion it took part in
forcing the passage of the river, and in gaining a decisive victory
over the army of King James on the 1st of July.
Advancing from the field of battle towards Dublin, the regiment
was reviewed by King William at Finglass, on the 8th of July, and
mustered six hundred and twenty-eight rank and file under arms.
It was afterwards detached, under Lieut.-General Douglas, against
Athlone; but that fortress was found better provided for a siege than
had been expected, and the regiment rejoined the army.
The TWENTY-SECOND was one of the corps employed at the siege of
_Limerick_. Many things combined to prevent the capture of that
fortress until the following year, and when the siege was raised,
the regiment proceeded into winter-quarters, from whence it sent
out detachments, which had several rencounters with bands of armed
peasantry, called Rapparees.
[Sidenote: 1691]
On the 6th of June, 1691, the regiment joined the army commanded by
Lieut.-General De Ghinkel (afterwards Earl of Athlone) on its march
for _Ballymore_, which fortress was speedily forced to surrender.
From Ballymore, the regiment marched to _Athlone_, and had the honour
to take part in the siege of that fortress, which was captured by
storm on the 1st of July. The grenadier company of the regiment
formed part of the storming party, which forded the river Shannon
under a heavy fire, and carried the works with great gallantry. The
capture of Athlone is one of the many splendid achievements which
have exalted the reputation of the British arms, and its reduction
proved a presage of additional triumphs.
Astonished and confounded by the capture of Athlone, General St. Ruth
retreated, with the French and Irish army under his orders, to a
position at _Aghrim_, where he was attacked on the 12th of July. On
this occasion, the regiment formed part of the brigade commanded by
its Colonel, Brigadier-General Sir Henry Bellasis, and it contributed
towards the complete overthrow of the army of King James, which was
driven from the field with severe loss, including its commander,
General St. Ruth, who was killed by a cannon-ball.
The regiment had one Ensign and two private soldiers killed; one
Major, and twenty-three soldiers wounded.
On the 19th of July the army approached _Galway_; after sunset six
regiments of foot and four squadrons of horse and dragoons passed the
river by pontoons, and on the following morning they captured some
outworks. On the 21st the garrison surrendered. Brigadier-General
Sir Henry Bellasis was nominated Governor of Galway, and he took
possession of the town with the TWENTY-SECOND and two other regiments
of foot.
The surrender of Galway was followed by the siege and capitulation
of _Limerick_, which city was surrendered in September, and completed
the deliverance of Ireland from the power of King James.
[Sidenote: 1692]
[Sidenote: 1695]
After the reduction of Ireland, the regiment was employed in garrison
and other duties of home-service, until 1695, when it proceeded to
the Netherlands, to reinforce the army commanded by King William
III., who was engaged in war for the preservation of the liberties of
Europe against the power of Louis XIV. of France. After landing at
Ostend, the regiment was placed in garrison.
[Sidenote: 1696]
Some advantages had been gained over the French arms; to counteract
which, Louis XIV. attempted to weaken the confederates by forming
plans for causing England to become the theatre of civil war. With
this view the Duke of Berwick and several other officers in the
French service were sent to England in disguise, to instigate the
adherents of King James to take arms; a plot was also formed for
the assassination of King William, and a French army marched to
the coast to be in readiness to embark for England. Under these
circumstances the TWENTY-SECOND regiment and a number of other corps
were ordered to return to England, where they arrived in March, 1696,
and the TWENTY-SECOND landed at Gravesend. The conspirators for the
assassination of King William were discovered; several persons were
apprehended, the British fleet was sent to blockade the French ports,
and the designs of Louis XIV. were frustrated.
[Sidenote: 1697]
In the following year a treaty of peace was concluded at Ryswick,
and the British Monarch saw his efforts for the civil and religious
liberties of Europe attended with success.
[Sidenote: 1698]
[Sidenote: 1700]
The TWENTY-SECOND regiment was afterwards sent to Ireland, where it
was stationed during the remainder of the reign of King William III.
[Sidenote: 1701]
On the 28th of June, 1701, the colonelcy of the regiment was
conferred on Brigadier-General William Selwyn, in succession to
Lieut.-General Sir Henry Bellasis, who was removed to the Second
foot, then styled the Queen Dowager's regiment.
[Sidenote: 1702]
King William died in March, 1702, and was succeeded by Queen
Anne, who declared war against France. Brigadier-General Selwyn
was nominated Governor of Jamaica, and promoted to the rank of
Major-General on the 10th of June, 1702. The TWENTY-SECOND regiment
was ordered to proceed to Jamaica, and several other corps also
embarked for stations in the West Indies: the British government
designing to make a general attack on the possessions of France and
Spain in South America.
Major-General Selwyn died at Jamaica, and was succeeded in the
colonelcy of the regiment by the Lieut.-Colonel, Thomas Handasyd, by
commission dated the 20th of June, 1702.
[Sidenote: 1703]
A considerable body of troops arrived in the West Indies in 1703: but
they were afterwards recalled to take part in the war in Europe. The
TWENTY-SECOND regiment was left at the island of Jamaica, and during
the reign of Queen Anne the regiment was employed in protecting
Jamaica, and the other British settlements in the West Indies, which
important duty it performed with reputation.
[Sidenote: 1704]
[Sidenote: 1705]
While employed on this duty, the regiment received drafts from
several other corps, and in 1705 an augmentation of two companies was
made to its establishment.
[Sidenote: 1712]
Colonel Handasyd was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General in
December, 1705, and to that of Major-General in January, 1710. In
1712 he retired from the colonelcy, resigning his commission in
favour of his son, Lieut.-Colonel Roger Handasyd, of the regiment.
[Sidenote: 1713]
[Sidenote: 1714]
In the following year the treaty of Utrecht gave peace to Europe;
and on the 31st of May, 1711, an order was issued for the men of the
regiment fit for duty to be formed into two independent companies for
service at Jamaica: the officers and staff returning to Europe to
recruit.
The two independent companies thus formed from the TWENTY-SECOND
were the nucleus of the FORTY-NINTH regiment, which was formed of
independent companies at Jamaica in 1743.
[Sidenote: 1715]
[Sidenote: 1718]
The officers and the serjeants not required for the independent
companies, having arrived in England, were actively employed in
recruiting in 1715; and in 1718 the regiment proceeded to Ireland.
[Sidenote: 1719]
[Sidenote: 1726]