public spirit nor the love of freedom, but abandoned their
sovereign to his fate, and submitted to the invaders. Persons of
all ranks attached themselves to the French interest, and Napoleon
issued a decree conferring the crown of Naples on his brother
Joseph and his legitimate heirs male, without prejudice to the
eventual claim of the throne of France, but with the proviso that
the crown of France and that of Naples should never be united
on the same head. The city of Naples was illuminated, and the
nobles were eager to manifest their attachment to their new king.
Insurrections occurred in several places, but the French arms were
successful, and the provinces became tranquil under the Buonaparte
dynasty.
It was important to England that Sicily should not fall under the
dominion of France, and when the enemy made preparations for the
invasion of the island, they were met in Calabria; the battle of
Maida, on the 4th of July, 1806, proved the superiority of the
British troops, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Calabria were
restored to their legal sovereign.
[Sidenote: 1807]
The services of the TENTH regiment of foot became connected with
the interests of the exiled royal family of Naples in the autumn
of 1807, when the regiment embarked from Gibraltar, and arrived on
the 28th of September at Messina, a city on the north-east side of
the island of Sicily. The TENTH did not land at Messina, but were
ordered round to Augusta, where they disembarked on the 2nd of
October, and occupied quarters in the citadel.
[Sidenote: 1808]
On the 5th of April, 1808, Major J. Otto Beyer, five lieutenants,
one ensign, six serjeants, and three hundred and sixty-two rank and
file joined from England.
About this period the two flank companies were ordered to be
completed to one hundred rank and file each, and to join the flank
battalion formed on the island.
In June four companies were sent to reinforce the garrison of
Syracuse, a fortified town situated on the south-east of the
island, and celebrated in ancient times for its great population.
These companies returned in August; but were again detached on the
same services in October.
[Sidenote: 1809]
On the 20th of March, 1809, the head-quarters marched from Augusta,
and the detachment from Syracuse, for Catania. At this celebrated
city, which is beautifully situated in the Val di Demona, on the
east coast of the island, and on the borders of Val di Nota, the
regiment remained ten days, and afterwards marched to the port
of Melazzo, and joined the army encamped on the plains of that
town. Meanwhile Joseph Buonaparte had been removed to the throne
of Spain, and the French Emperor had placed Marshal Murat, his
brother-in-law, on the throne of Naples.
In the beginning of June, General Sir John Stuart, Count of Maida,
commanding the British troops in Sicily, embarked fifteen thousand
men for the south of Italy, and for the capture of Naples, as a
diversion in favour of the Austrians, who were once more at war
with France. The TENTH regiment embarked on this enterprise,
leaving two companies in garrison at Melazzo.
The first attack made by the main body of the expedition was
on Ischia, a small island in the gulf of Naples, situate about
six miles from the coast. The batteries for the defence of the
shores of the island being turned by the British troops, were
successively deserted by the enemy, and after a short resistance,
the garrison of Ischia surrendered. The garrison of Procida,
another island on the same coast, was also forced to surrender; and
forty gun-boats were captured.
An attack was likewise made on the castle of _Scylla_, situate
in a promontory in the straits of Messina, which separate Sicily
from the Neapolitan territory. The TENTH regiment was selected
to take part in this enterprise: having landed on the coast, it
crossed the heights of Jovanni on the 14th of June, and proceeding
through the mountains to the heights of Mela, immediately above
the castle, bivouacked on the high grounds; at the same time
the works were commenced for the attack. On the 29th of June
a strong reinforcement of the enemy appeared, and the British
troops were concentrated; but the French had so great an excess
of numbers, that it was deemed necessary to withdraw. The stores
were destroyed, the retreat effected, and the TENTH regiment was
conveyed across the straits to the Messina side; having only
sustained a loss of two men.
The diversion so far succeeded as to prevent Murat taking part in
the war with Austria, and the troops returned to Sicily: the TENTH
were stationed in the citadel of Messina until the 8th of July,
when they were encamped along the coast near the Faro.
[Sidenote: 1810]
During the summer of this year an expedition sailed from England
against the coast of Holland, and Flushing, on the island of
_Walcheren_, was captured. The second battalion of the TENTH
embarked from Portsmouth on the 9th of November, and landed on the
island of Walcheren on the 22nd of that month; but the climate
proved very injurious to the health of the British soldiers,
and the island was evacuated. The second battalion of the TENTH
embarked from Flushing on the 10th of December, and on arriving in
England it was ordered to Jersey, where it landed on the 17th of
January, 1810.
From Jersey the second battalion embarked on the 10th of April,
1810, for Gibraltar, and arrived at that important fortress in
eighteen days. The battalion remained at Gibraltar three months,
then embarked for the island of Malta, and landed there on the 12th
of August.
The first battalion remained on the coast of Sicily until November,
when it marched into the citadel of Messina.
[Sidenote: 1811]
After the decease of General the Honorable Henry Edward Fox, who
held the command of the regiment sixteen years, the colonelcy was
conferred on Major-General the Honorable Thomas Maitland, from the
fourth West India regiment, by commission dated the 19th of July,
1811.
On the 22nd of August the second battalion embarked from Malta for
the island of Sicily, and landed at Messina on the 27th of that
month.
[Sidenote: 1812]
In the meantime, the efforts made by Great Britain to enable the
Spaniards and Portuguese to deliver themselves from the power of
Napoleon, began to assume a favourable prospect, and sanguine
hopes of final success were anticipated. To aid the cause of
Spanish independence, a small army was sent from Sicily to the
eastern coast of Spain, and the first battalion of the TENTH was
destined to take part in this service. The battalion left Messina
in January, 1812, embarked at Melazzo, for Palermo, and was in
quarters in that part of Sicily until June, when it joined the
expedition which sailed for Spain.
Approaching the coast of Spain towards the end of July, the
armament appeared off Palamos, in Catalonia, but the town was too
strong to be attached by so small a force, and the fleet sailed
for Alicant, in Murcia, where it arrived at a critical moment, the
Spanish troops in that quarter having been defeated by the French.
The Anglo-Sicilian troops landed and advanced a few stages to Elda,
but afterwards withdrew; the TENTH marching to Palermo, where they
passed the winter, the soldiers being much disappointed at the
state of inactivity in which they were detained.
In November, the grenadier company of the second battalion embarked
from Sicily, and joined the army on the eastern coast of Spain.
[Sidenote: 1813]
On the 16th of February, 1813, the second battalion embarked from
Sicily, against the island of _Ponzo_, on the coast of Naples,
which capitulated on the 26th of that month, when the battalion
returned to Sicily.
In the spring of this year, the distresses of the Spanish troops
near Alicant, which could only be relieved by enlarging their
cantonments, induced the British commander, Lieut.-General Sir John
Murray, to make a forward movement. The TENTH formed part of the
fourth column, which advanced by Xixona upon Alcoy; some fighting
occurred, and the cantonments were enlarged. On the 18th of March,
the regiment crossed the mountains to Ibithe, and on the 20th went
into cantonments at Castalla.
The French army under Marshal Suchet advanced in the early
part of April, and attacked the outposts on the 12th, when
Lieutenant Thompson of the TENTH regiment, deputy-assistant
quartermaster-general, was killed by a cannon-shot. The
Anglo-Sicilian army took up a position three miles from the pass
of Biar; the TENTH having left their cantonments at Castalla, took
post in the line.
On the 13th of April, the enemy cleared the pass of Biar, and the
battle of _Castalla_ was fought, when the French were repulsed and
driven back through the pass: the TENTH did not sustain any loss on
this occasion; on the day after the battle they marched to Alcoy,
and, on the 19th of April, to Castalla.
About this period, the grenadier companies of the first and second
battalions returned to Sicily.
The siege of _Tarragona_, a seaport of Catalonia, situate on a
hill near the mouth of the river Francoli, having been resolved
upon, the TENTH left Castalla on the 29th of May, embarked at
Alicant on the 31st, and landed on the 3rd of June in the vicinity
of Tarragona. Marshal Suchet advancing with an army of superior
numbers, the siege was raised, and the troops were re-embarked, on
the 8th of June, on which day the regiment had a man killed by a
cannon-ball. On the following day the regiment landed at Balaguer,
and remained a short time in Catalonia; it afterwards sailed for
Alicant. During the voyage a violent tempest drove fourteen sail of
transports on the sands off the mouth of the Ebro, and the "Alfred"
transport, having two companies of the TENTH on board, was wrecked.
After landing at Alicant, the regiment went into cantonments at
Palermo.
Lieutenant-General Lord William Bentinck assumed the command of the
army in the east of Spain, in succession to Lieutenant-General Sir
John Murray, on the 18th June, 1813. The following General Order
was issued by His Lordship, dated _Alicant, 25th June, 1813_:--
"The Commander of the Forces sees with the utmost gratification the
military spirit, and the determination to conquer, which pervades
the whole army. We are engaged in a glorious cause,--the cause of
universal liberty! It is the cause of us all; of those who are
free, and those who are not. To-day the contest is fought in Spain
and Germany, to-morrow it will be in Italy. Brave Italians, once
so great, once masters of the world, but now, though brave and
enlightened as ever, the unwilling slaves of a French tyrant, it
is for the interest of the whole, that the efforts should be made
where the enemy is the weakest. Success in Spain is success in
Germany, in England, and in Italy! We form a great brotherhood;
we must emulate each other in affection, union, and courage, and
Providence, in whose hands is victory, will bless our cause!"
Lieutenant-General Lord William Bentinck continued in command of
this division of the army until the 23rd September, 1813, when his
Lordship issued the following General Order, dated _Tarragona, 23rd
September, 1813_:--
"The Commander of the Forces deeply laments that he is compelled
to leave the army. It is a pleasing part of his duty to express
his perfect satisfaction with the subordination and perseverance
displayed by the troops upon all occasions.
"He only regrets that the part assigned to this army in the plan
of the campaign has not permitted the troops to partake in those
brilliant triumphs, which would have been the just recompense of
their valour and discipline."
Lieutenant-General William Clinton succeeded Lord William Bentinck
in the command of this division of the army on the 23rd September,
1813.
The battle of Vittoria, on the 21st June, gained by the army under
the Marquis of Wellington, changed the aspect of affairs in Spain,
and the French troops in Murcia made some retrograde movements.
The Anglo-Sicilian army advanced; the TENTH left their cantonments
on the 5th of July, and, advancing into Catalonia, they once more
appeared before the fortress of _Tarragona_, which was again
invested. While before Tarragona, Assistant-Surgeon Rolston lost
a leg, and a private soldier lost both feet from cannon-shot.
The opposing armies in Catalonia made several movements, and the
regiment withdrew from before Tarragona and proceeded to Balaguer.
On the 22nd of August, five hundred men of the TENTH were sent
into the interior to cut wood for the use of the army; during
their absence a fire was accidentally kindled to the windward of
the bivouac ground, and communicating rapidly to the dry grass
and shrubs, the ground occupied by the TENTH regiment was soon
enveloped in flame. The exertions of the few men of the regiment
left in the lines were impeded by the explosions of the cartridges,
and few of the arms and appointments of the corps were saved:
four hundred stand of arms, and about the same number of sets of
accoutrements, knapsacks, and suits of clothing were destroyed. By
this accident the regiment was rendered unfit for the field; it
embarked for Salo, and on arriving there, all the tailors and other
mechanics were employed to refit it. Arms were also procured, and
it was so speedily re-equipped, that it returned to the seat of war
in the beginning of September: having landed at Villa Nova on the
5th of that month, it went into cantonments at Villa Franca.
On the evening of the 12th of September, the advanced corps of the
Anglo-Sicilian army posted at _Ordal_ were attached and overpowered
by the superior numbers of the enemy. The TENTH were suddenly
ordered out at two o'clock on the following morning, and they
formed across the road, covering the retreat of the broken remains
of the corps in advance. At daybreak the French cavalry appeared,
advancing rapidly and in great force, when the regiment commenced
retiring, and skirmishing with the enemy during the retrograde
movement; the army falling back towards Tarragona. In the evening
the regiment took post on a height near Vendrills, where it halted
several hours, and afterwards continued its retreat to the vicinity
of Tarragona.
On the 24th of September, the regiment marched into quarters at
Valls, and in October it was removed to Vendrills.
The brilliant success of the allied army under the Marquis of
Wellington, and the disasters of Napoleon in Germany, had a great
effect upon the war in Catalonia, and the troops under Marshal
Suchet withdrew from several posts. The TENTH marched, in February,
1814, to the vicinity of _Barcelona_, and formed part of the force
employed in the blockade of that fortress.
[Sidenote: 1814]
Hostilities were terminated in April by a treaty of peace;
Buonaparte was removed from the throne of France, and the Bourbon
family restored.[8] The TENTH withdrew from before Barcelona,
marched to Tarragona, and embarked at that port on the 25th of
April; on the 19th of May they landed at the beautiful city of
Palermo, situate in a bay on the northern coast of Sicily, where
they went into barracks.
In March, 1814, the second battalion embarked from Sicily, and
landed on the island of Malta on the 24th of that month.
[Sidenote: 1815]
The return of Napoleon Buonaparte to France from Elba, and the
declaration of war against the usurper by the allied sovereigns,
in the spring of 1815, occasioned the TENTH to be removed from
Sicily. They proceeded, in the first instance, by sea, from Palermo
to Melazzo, and were stationed in the castle; at the same time the
grenadier and light companies joined the flank battalion formed
at Melazzo. The battalion companies afterwards sailed for Naples,
where they landed on the 25th of May; three days after landing they
went on board of two Neapolitan line of battle ships, "Geochinria"
and "Carpi," and proceeded to Malta, where they landed on the 9th
of June, and occupied Fort St. Elmo barracks.
The battle of Waterloo was succeeded by the flight of Buonaparte
from France, and his surrender to the captain of a British
man-of-war. Three hundred men of the TENTH, commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel J. O. Beyer were detached to Fort Emanoel, in charge
of the Duke of Rovigo, Lieut.-General L'Allemand, and six other
French officers who had belonged to the suite of Buonaparte: these
officers had been sent to Malta as state prisoners.
[Sidenote: 1816]
Peace being restored, the army was reduced; the two battalions of
the TENTH regiment, at Malta, were incorporated, and the invalids
and limited-service men were sent to England; this took place in
January, 1816.
The good conduct of the regiment during the period it was employed
on the eastern coast of Spain, in 1812, 1813, and 1814, was
rewarded with the royal authority to bear the word "PENINSULA" on
its colours.
[Sidenote: 1817]
In August, 1816, the regiment commenced embarking by detachments
from Malta, for Corfu, where it was stationed until the end of
August, 1817, when the head-quarters and five companies, under
Colonel Travers, embarked for the islands of Cephalonia and Zante.
[Sidenote: 1818]
On the 21st of March, 1818, five companies embarked from Corfu,
under the orders of Major Trickey, for Malta, and occupied the
barracks in the Cottonera district.
[Sidenote: 1819]
In March, 1819, the head-quarters embarked from Cephalonia, and the
detachment from Zante, for Malta, where the regiment was assembled,
and occupied the lower St. Elmo barracks at Valetta, under the
command of Lieut.-Colonel Mathew Stewart, who was appointed from
half-pay in succession to Colonel Travers, nominated an Inspecting
Field-officer of Militia in the Ionian Islands.
[Sidenote: 1820]
During the year 1820, the regiment occupied the barracks in the
Cottonera district, with detachments at Floriana, forts Manvel and
Tigni, and the island of Giza.
[Sidenote: 1821]
From Malta, the regiment embarked, in April, 1821, for England,
and landing at Portsmouth in June, was stationed at that fortress
three months; it afterwards sailed to Plymouth, and occupied the
citadel and Stonehouse barracks.
[Sidenote: 1822]
In April, 1822, the regiment embarked from Plymouth for Deptford,
and after several changes of quarters it was stationed at Chatham
and Sheerness.
[Sidenote: 1823]
On the 28th of May, 1823, the regiment embarked at Chatham, for
Ireland; after landing at Cork, it proceeded to Fermoy, and in
October it was removed to Rathkeale, with detachments at twelve
other stations.
[Sidenote: 1824]
On the decease of Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir Thomas Maitland,
G.C.B. and G.C.H., King George IV. conferred the colonelcy of the
TENTH on Major-General Sir John Lambert, K.C.B. by commission dated
the 18th of January, 1824. On the 8th January, 1824, Colonel Sir
Robert Travers, was reappointed, in succession to Lieut.-Colonel
Stewart, who retired from the service.
[Sidenote: 1825]
In April, the regiment was removed to Fermoy, and Lieut.-Colonel
James Payler was appointed on the 2nd June, 1825, from the
half-pay, unattached, in succession to Sir Robert Travers, promoted
to the rank of Major-General. Lieut.-Colonel Payler assumed the
command in June, 1825, and in September following the head-quarters
were removed to Templemore.
[Sidenote: 1826]
From Templemore, the regiment was removed, in February, 1826,
to Castlebar, where a pair of new colours, bearing a "SPHINX,"
with the words "EGYPT," and "PENINSULA," was presented to it by
Lieut.-Colonel Payler, the commanding officer, on the 19th of May.
After several changes of quarters, in the autumn of this year the
regiment was formed into six service and four depôt companies, at
Buttevant, from whence the service companies marched to Cork,
where they embarked, in December, for Portugal, the government
of which country had solicited British aid, in consequence of
an apprehended insurrection, and an invasion from Spain, which
threatened to oppose the introduction of a constitution conferring
more liberty on the Portuguese people than they had previously
possessed.
[Sidenote: 1827]
The service companies, under Lieut.-Colonel Payler, landed at
Lisbon, in January, 1827; they formed part of the first brigade
under Major-General Sir Edward Blakeney, and advanced up the
country to Coimbra. The apprehension of invasion and insurrection
ceasing to exist, the regiment left Coimbra, and occupied the
palace and convent at Mafra, during the winter.
[Sidenote: 1828]
In March, 1828, the service companies embarked from Lisbon, for
Corfu, where they landed on the 31st of that month, and were
stationed at Port Raymond barracks. In December a detachment joined
from the depôt in Ireland.
[Sidenote: 1829]
During the summer of 1829, the regiment was removed from Corfu to
Zante, with detachments at the islands of Cerigo and Paxo.
[Sidenote: 1830]
[Sidenote: 1831]
[Sidenote: 1832]
The head-quarters remained at Zante during the years 1830 and 1831;
in May, 1832, they were removed to Corfu, and in July to Vido; but
returned to Corfu in December.
[Sidenote: 1833]
Lieut.-Colonel John Henry Belli was appointed on the 17th May,
1833, in exchange with Lieut.-Colonel Payler; and Lieut.-Colonel
William Gardner Freer was promoted by purchase on 24th May, in
succession to Lieut.-Colonel Belli, who retired.
[Sidenote: 1836]
Lieut.-Colonel W. G. Freer died at Corfu on the 2nd August, 1836,
where he was in command of the regiment: he was succeeded by
Brevet Lieut.-Colonel William Cochrane.[9]
[Sidenote: 1837]
Lieut.-Colonel W. Cochrane was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General
at head-quarters on the 16th June, 1837, and was succeeded by
Lieut.-Colonel Holman Custance from the half-pay.
[Sidenote: 1838]
The head-quarters continued to be stationed at Corfu and Vido
alternately, until November, 1837, when the service companies
of the TENTH were relieved from duty in the Ionian Islands, and
embarked for Ireland, where they arrived in December, 1837, and
January, 1838, and landed at Cork.
[Sidenote: 1839]
The regiment was stationed in Ireland until May, 1839, when it
embarked at Dublin for England; it landed at Liverpool, and was
afterwards quartered in Lancashire.
[Sidenote: 1840]
During the year 1840 the regiment was stationed at Burnley and
Manchester.
[Sidenote: 1841]
The regiment proceeded to Newcastle-on-Tyne on the 25th June, 1841,
and marched from thence to Scotland; it arrived at Edinburgh on
the 21st, 24th, and 27th July, and proceeded to Glasgow on the 9th
August following.
[Sidenote: 1842]
On the 29th March, 1842, Colonel James Considine was appointed from
the half-pay unattached, in succession to Colonel Custance, who
was nominated to the command of the Depôt Battalion in the Isle of
Wight.
In March, 1842, the regiment left Glasgow, and proceeded in
divisions to Winchester. On the 1st April, it was augmented to the
India establishment, preparatory to its embarkation for Bengal. It
proceeded to Gravesend, and embarked in freight ships for Calcutta
in April and May, 1842, under the command of Colonel Considine,
K.H. The regiment disembarked at Calcutta in August and September
of that year.
Lieut.-Colonel Gervas Power was promoted on the 8th April, 1842,
on the augmentation of the regiment: he died at Calcutta on the
30th December following; and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel John
Luard, who was promoted from the twenty-first Royal North British
Fusiliers on the 31st December.
[Sidenote: 1843]
[Sidenote: 1844]
The regiment remained at Fort William, Calcutta, until the 15th
November, 1844, when it marched for Meerut under the command of
Major Franks.
[Sidenote: 1845]
The head-quarters arrived at Meerut on the 22nd February, 1845.
Lieut.-Colonel Luard exchanged to the half-pay on the 28th
March, with Colonel Sir George Couper, Bart., who retired from
the service, and Lieut.-Colonel Thomas H. Franks was promoted by
purchase, on the 28th March, 1845. Colonel James Considine died at
Meerut on the 4th September, from an attack of cholera, and was
succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel C. L. Strickland on the 5th September.
[Sidenote: 1846]
The regiment marched from Meerut, under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Franks, on the 16th December, 1845, and joined the
_Army of the Sutlej_ on the 8th January, 1846, both officers and
men animated with the laudable desire to share the dangers, and to
reap some of the laurels already acquired by the army in this brief
but exciting campaign.