TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Some minor changes are noted at the end of the book.
HISTORICAL RECORDS
OF THE
BRITISH ARMY.
PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE
ADJUTANT-GENERAL.
THE FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT;
OR,
NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS.
LONDON:
Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS
14, Charing Cross.
GENERAL ORDERS.
_HORSE-GUARDS_,
_1st January, 1836_.
His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a 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 Honourable
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 honourable 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 du Corps_--an attachment
to every thing 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.
[Illustration: FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT (NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS).
[_To face page 1._
]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF THE
FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT,
OR
NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS;
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN THE YEAR 1674,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1837.
_PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION UNDER THE DIRECTION
OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL._
LONDON:
PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, 14, CHARING-CROSS.
MDCCCXXXVIII.
THE
FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT,
OR
NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS,
BEARS ON ITS COLOURS
"ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON,"
WITH THE MOTTO,
"QUO FATA VOCANT,"
AND THE FOLLOWING DISTINCTIONS:
"_Wilhelmsthal_"--"_Roleia_"--"_Vimiera_"--"_Corunna_"--"_Busaco_"--
"_Ciudad Rodrigo_"--"_Badajoz_"--"_Salamanca_"--"_Vittoria_"--
"_Nivelle_"--"_Orthes_"--"_Toulouse_"--"_Peninsula_."
CONTENTS.
Anno Page
1674 The Dutch Government obtains permission to
entertain British Troops in its service 1
---- Ten Companies formed--the siege of Grave 2
---- The FIFTH, and three other regiments, formed --
1676 Siege of Maastricht 3
1677 Battle of Mont-Cassel 7
1678 Battle of St. Denis --
1685 The Regiment proceeds to England 10
---- Returns to Holland 11
1688 Accompanies the Prince of Orange to England 12
---- Revolution--Placed on the English Establishment 14
1690 Proceeds to Ireland --
---- Battle of the Boyne 15
1691 Skirmish near Castle-Cuff, &c. --
---- Siege of Athlone 17
---- Siege of Limerick 18
---- Returns to England --
1692 Proceeds to Flanders --
---- Returns to England 19
1693 Expedition to Martinico --
---- Returns to England --
---- Proceeds to Flanders --
1695 Covering the siege of Namur 20
1697 Returns to England 22
1698 Proceeds to Ireland --
1707 Embarks for Portugal --
1709 Battle of Caya 24
1710 Capture of Xeres de los Cabaleros 25
1713 Embarks for Gibraltar 27
1727 Defence of Gibraltar --
1728 Proceeds to Ireland 28
1735 Embarks for England --
1737 Returns to Ireland 29
1755 Proceeds to England --
1758 Expedition to the Coast of France--destruction
of Shipping, &c., at St. Maloes --
---- Capture of Cherbourg, &c.--Returns to England 30
1760 Proceeds to Germany --
---- Skirmish at Corbach 31
---- Battle of Warbourg --
---- Surprise at Zirenberg 32
---- Skirmish at Campen --
1761 Battle of Kirch-Denkern --
---- Affair at Capelnhagen 33
---- Skirmish at Eimbeck --
---- Skirmish at Foorwohle --
1762 Battle of Groebenstien, &c. --
---- Skirmish at Lutterberg 36
---- Skirmish at Homburg --
---- Covering the siege of Cassel --
1763 Marches through Holland and embarks for England --
---- Proceeds to Ireland 37
1767 The "Order of Merit" introduced --
1771 Suppression of disturbances in Ireland 39
1774 Embarks for Boston in North America --
1775 Affair at Concord and Lexington 40
---- Attack on Bunker's Hill 42
1776 Embarks from Boston for Nova Scotia 44
---- Reduction of Long Island --
---- Action at White Plains 45
1776 Capture of Forts Washington and Lee 45
---- Reduction of New Jersey --
1777 Expedition to Pennsylvania--actions at Brandywine
Creek and Germantown 46
1778 Retreat through the Jerseys--skirmish at Freehold 48
---- Expedition to Little Egg Harbour --
---- Reduction of the Island of St. Lucie 49
---- The men equipped with White Plumes 51
1779}
1780} In various actions in the West Indies --
1780 Proceeds to England 51
1781 Embarks for Ireland 52
1787 Proceeds to Canada 54
1797 Returns to England 56
1799 Second battalion formed--both battalions embark
for Holland --
---- Action at Walmenhuysen, Shoreldam, and Egmont-op-Zee 57
---- Action at Winkle 58
---- Returns to England --
1800 Proceeds to Gibraltar 59
1802 Returns to England--Second battalion disbanded --
1803 Proceeds to Guernsey --
1804 Returns to England--a Second battalion raised --
1805 Second battalion to Guernsey--First battalion
embarks for Hanover --
1806 First battalion returns to England--embarks for
South America 60
1807 Attack on Buenos Ayres --
---- Both battalions proceed to Ireland 61
1808 First battalion embarks for Portugal --
---- ---- ---- Battle of Roleia 62
---- ---- ---- Battle of Vimiera --
---- ---- ---- Advances into Spain--Retreats to
the coast 63
1809 First battalion, battle of Corunna 63
---- ---- ---- Returns to England--proceeds on
the Walcheren expedition 64
---- First battalion returns to England 65
---- ---- ---- Detachment at the battle of Talavera --
---- Second battalion from Ireland to Portugal --
1810 ---- ---- Battle of Busaco--Lines of Torres
Vedras 66
---- First battalion proceeds from England to Ireland --
1811 Second battalion, affair at Redinha 67
---- ---- ---- Battle of Sabugal --
---- ---- ---- Battle of Fuentes d'Onor 68
---- ---- ---- Siege of Badajoz --
---- ---- ---- Action at El Bodon --
1812 ---- ---- Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo 74
---- ---- ---- Siege of Badajoz 76
---- First battalion from Ireland to Portugal 78
---- Both battalions at the battle of Salamanca --
---- ---- ---- advance to Madrid 79
---- Chivalrous spirit of James Grant --
---- Second battalion proceeds to England 80
---- First battalion retreats from Madrid to Portugal --
1813 ---- ---- Battle of Vittoria 81
---- ---- ---- Battle of the Pyrenees 82
---- ---- ---- Enters France--battle of Nivelle --
---- ---- ---- Passage of the Nive --
1814 ---- ---- Affair near the Gave d'Oleron 83
---- ---- ---- Battle of Orthes --
---- ---- ---- Battle of Toulouse --
---- ---- ---- Embarks for North America 84
---- ---- ---- Action near Plattsburg --
1815 ---- ---- Proceeds from America to Flanders 85
---- ---- ---- Advances to Paris --
---- ---- ---- Forms part of the Army of Occupation
in France --
1818 First battalion proceeds to England 85
---- Reduced to one battalion in 1816 86
---- Proceeds to the West Indies --
1821 Reduced from ten to eight companies --
1824 Privilege of wearing a distinguishing feather
confirmed 87
1825 Augmented from eight to ten companies --
1826 Embarks for England --
1827 Proceeds to Ireland 88
1829 To wear a red and white feather 90
1830 Good conduct during the Galway election 91
1831 Six companies embark for Gibraltar, and four
companies remain in Ireland 95
1832 The "Order of Merit" sanctioned 96
1833 Colours destroyed by fire 97
1834 Service companies from Gibraltar to Malta 98
---- Facings changed to a lively green 99
1835 Correspondence relative to an additional banner 100
---- The reserve companies proceed to England 101
1836 Equipped as Fusiliers, and styled the FIFTH REGIMENT
OF FOOT, OR NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS --
---- "Wilhelmsthal" inscribed on the Colours 102
---- New Colours presented to the regiment 103
1837 Service companies proceed to Corfu 106
---- The Conclusion --
PLATES.
The Vignette--Badge--to follow Title Page
The Colours to face Page 1
The Uniform of 1688 to face Page 12
The Uniform of 1835 to face 100
The Uniform of 1837 to face 106
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
Anno Page
1674 Daniel Viscount of Clare 107
1675 John Fenwick 108
1676 Henry Wisely --
1680 Thomas Monk 109
1688 Thomas Tollemache --
1689 Edward Lloyd 110
1694 Thomas Fairfax --
1704 Thomas Pearce --
1732 John Cope 111
1737 Alexander Irwin 112
1752 Charles Whiteford --
1754 Lord George Bentinck 113
1759 Studholme Hodgson --
1768 Hugh Earl Percy 114
1784 Honourable Edward Stopford --
1794 Sir Alured Clarke, G.C.B. 115
1801 Richard England 116
1812 William Wynyard --
1819 Sir Henry Johnson, Bart., G.C.B. 117
1835 The Hon. Sir Charles Colville, G.C.B, and G.C.H. --
[Illustration: FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT (NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS).]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF THE
FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT,
OR
NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS.
[Sidenote: 1674]
When the treaty of peace between England and Holland was being
negotiated at London in February 1674,[1] the Dutch Government,
remembering the advantages which had been derived from the
Auxiliary British troops in former wars, obtained permission again
to entertain in its service certain regiments.
Peace having been concluded, King Charles II. disbanded part of
his army in the same year, when many of the officers and men
proceeded to Holland, and the formation of the British division
was commenced. The original design was to have a division of ten
thousand men, to be commanded-in-chief, under the Prince of Orange,
by Major-General Sir Walter Vane; but while the organization of
this force was in progress, Sir Walter was killed at the battle of
_Seneffe_, which was fought on the 11th of August, 1674; and Sir
William Ballandyne was appointed to succeed him in the command of
the British troops.
The formation making rapid progress, in the autumn, when the Prince
of Orange was besieging _Grave_ in North Brabant, he was informed
that ten English and Irish companies, complete and fit for service,
were at Bois-le-Duc, about 18 miles distant, and his Highness,
eager to avail himself of their services, immediately ordered them
to join the army. In this siege the ten companies gave presage of
that gallantry for which they afterwards became celebrated; they
lost several men, and Sir William Ballandyne was also killed by a
cannon-ball.
The capture of _Grave_, which took place on the 28th of October,
terminated the campaign; the troops were sent into quarters; and
during the winter four regiments of British subjects were formed at
Bois-le-Duc;--two English,--one Scots,--and one Irish;--the latter
is now designated the FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT, OR NORTHUMBERLAND
FUSILIERS, and its services form the subject of this narrative.
Its first Colonel was Daniel O'Brien, Viscount of Clare; but
this nobleman resigned soon afterwards, and quitted Holland.
The regiment was commanded, _ad interim_, by Lieutenant-Colonel
Anselmne, who had previously served with much honour in the Spanish
service.
[Sidenote: 1675]
In 1675 the command of this regiment was conferred on Colonel John
Fenwick, who had distinguished himself at the battle of Seneffe; at
this period the regiment discontinued the designation of "Irish,"
and many English gentlemen received commissions in it.
After leaving its quarters at Bois-le-Duc in the spring of 1675,
the regiment was encamped for a short time on one of the beautiful
plains of Louvain, and it was subsequently employed in manœuvring
near the frontiers of France and in the Principality of Liege. The
progress of the campaign was impeded by the severe indisposition
of the Prince of Orange; no engagement of importance occurred, and
in the autumn the regiment marched to the Dutch Netherlands and
passed the winter in garrison at Utrecht.
[Sidenote: 1676]
In the summer of 1676 the regiment marched to Brabant, and was
stationed at Bois-le-Duc, preparatory to some expedition of
importance. This occurred in the early part of July, and the men
were in high spirits, anticipating some splendid adventure. About
two o'clock in the morning the drums beat "to arms;" the regiment
immediately assembled at the alarm-post, and commenced its march
for the province of Limburg, being joined by other corps every
day. On the fifth day, the Prince of Orange appeared at the head
of the troops, and, to the surprise of the enemy, the famous city
of _Maestricht_ was besieged. This city, which was well fortified
with all the works which art could suggest, was defended by 8000
chosen men commanded by Monsieur Calvo, a resolute Catalonian. The
Prince of Orange attended to the progress of the siege; and after
the arrival of the battering train, the works were carried on with
vigour.
The three English regiments[2] were formed in one Brigade, and
they soon distinguished themselves, beating back the sallies of
the garrison with great slaughter. On the 30th of July, a storming
party of two hundred men, furnished in equal proportions by the
three regiments, attacked the Dauphin Bastion, and after a severe
contest effected a lodgment, but afterwards lost their ground: this
proved a sanguinary affair, and 150 men were killed and wounded out
of the two hundred. On the 2nd of August the Brigade was again on
duty in the trenches, when Colonel Fenwick was wounded.
The Prince of Orange resolved to make a second attack on the
Dauphin Bastion on the 4th of August, when a detachment from
the Brigade, commanded by Captain Anthony Barnwell of Fenwick's
regiment, with another from the Dutch Foot Guards, commanded by
Baron Sparr, formed the storming party.[3] At three o'clock the
Brigade was under arms with the storming party in front; and
at five the gallant little band, advancing under a tempest of
bullets, went cheering to the attack and carried the bastion in
gallant style--the English, gaining the lead of the Dutch, first
made a lodgment. Scarcely, however, had the soldiers gained a
footing, when the French sprung a mine and blew many of the
men into the air, and following this up with a fierce attack,
regained possession of the works. The heroic English were, however,
"resolute to win;"--they returned to the attack, and fighting with
a strength and majesty which nothing could withstand, drove back
the French, and re-established themselves on the bastion; but their
commander, Captain Barnwell, was killed, and more than half the
officers and men of the party were killed and wounded.
About five in the morning of the 6th of August a desperate sally
was made by three hundred Swiss Infantry, and, owing to the neglect
of a sentry, they surprised and made prisoners the English guard
on the bastion; but a reinforcement from the Brigade came forward
to their rescue, and, after saluting the assailants with a few
volleys, and a shower of hand-grenades, made a furious charge,
retaking the bastion and chasing the Swiss Infantry with prodigious
slaughter to the palisadoes of the counterscarp, destroying
the whole detachment, except about twenty men who escaped into
the town. The Prince of Orange complimented the Brigade on its
distinguished bravery, and made each of the three regiments a
present of a fat ox and six sheep.[4]
On the 15th of August Colonel Fenwick's regiment, commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Wisely (the Colonel not having recovered
from his wounds) was on duty in the trenches, when the enemy
made another furious sally; but they were nobly received by the
regiment; a fierce combat ensued, in which the strength and
unconquerable spirit, of the English again excited the admiration
of the Prince of Orange, and a reinforcement arriving, the French
were driven back with great loss.
The progress of the siege had been marked by surprising energy,
but it was prolonged by the resolute defence of the garrison; and
when all things were ready for a general assault, a French army of
overwhelming numbers, commanded by Marshal Schomberg, advanced to
its relief. The Prince of Orange immediately raised the siege and
retired; and the three English regiments, having sustained a severe
loss, and having nearly half the number of the surviving officers
and men wounded, were sent into quarters of refreshment in Holland.
At the same time a misunderstanding occurred between Colonel
(afterwards Sir John) Fenwick and the Prince, and the Colonel
resigned his commission; when his Highness gave the Colonelcy of
the regiment to the Lieutenant-Colonel, Henry Wisely.
[Sidenote: 1677]
The French, while amusing the Allies with negotiations for a peace,
commenced the campaign of 1677, with great vigour, and with such an
immense army, that the feeble preparations of the Dutch, and the
apathy of the Spaniards, left the Prince of Orange without an army
capable of resisting the enemy. He, however, resolved to attempt
the relief of St. Omers, which was besieged by the French; the
English Brigade was ordered to West Flanders, to take part in the
enterprise, and it was encamped a short time on the plains of the
Yperlee. In the early part of April, the Prince advanced with his
little army, and on the 11th of that month he fought the battle
of _Mont-Cassel_ under great disadvantages in numbers, and in the
nature of the ground. The English Brigade behaved with its usual
gallantry; but the army was defeated, and the Prince retreated with
the loss of his baggage and artillery. The Brigade was afterwards
employed in manœuvring and in defensive operations until the
autumn, when it went into quarters. The Prince of Orange proceeded
to England, and was married to the Princess Mary on the 14th of
November, 1677.
[Sidenote: 1678]
Before the following spring, Major-General the Earl of Ossory
arrived from England to command the six British regiments in the
Dutch service, and ten thousand English troops, commanded by the
Duke of Monmouth, were ordered to proceed to Flanders to take part
in the war.
The Earl of Ossory's brigade was early in the field: it was
employed a short time on detached services in the Netherlands,
and was afterwards encamped near the ground where the battle of
Waterloo was fought in June, 1815. In the mean time the French
besieged _Mons_, the capital of the province of Hainault, and their
covering army occupied a strong position, with its right at the
Abbey of _St. Denis_, and its left at Mamoy St. Pierre. The Prince
of Orange assembled his army, and after advancing several stages,
he encamped near the little river Senne, about seven miles from
Mons; and on the morning of the 14th of August, 1678, his Highness
put the troops in motion to attack the enemy.
The British Brigade, led by the Earl of Ossory, moved from
its camp along a difficult tract of country, until it came in
front of a hill occupied by the enemy's left wing, where it was
destined to make its attack, in conjunction with the Dutch Foot
Guards. The signal for the attack was given, when the British
Grenadiers, springing forward with lighted matches, threw a shower
of hand-grenades, which, bursting amongst the ranks of the enemy,
did much execution. The Musqueteers followed, and opening a sharp
fire, were answered by the volleys of the enemy; their fire was
soon succeeded by the charge of the Pikemen, who went cheering
onward to the attack, while the Musqueteers, drawing their swords,
joined in the onset with admirable spirit and resolution,--and the
enemy gave way. One attack was succeeded by another; the French,
driven from field to field, still rallied and returned to the
fight. Pike to pike and sword to sword, the combatants maintained a
fierce conflict, while the hand-grenades flew in every direction,
and the heights of Castehau presented a varied scene of turmoil and
slaughter, in the midst of which the Prince of Orange and the Duke
of Monmouth appeared, mixed with the combatants, and urging forward
the storm of battle.[5] A French captain levelled his pistol at
the Prince, but General D'Auverquerque killed the captain before
he had time to fire, and thus saved his Highness's life, for which
service the States made him a present of a valuable sword. Night at
length put an end to the fight, and the French afterwards made a
precipitate retreat.
The regiment lost in this action Lieutenant-Colonel Archer,
Lieutenant Charlton, and about fifty men killed: also Major Hales,
Captain Charlton, Captain Coleman, Captain Floyd, Captain Dupuy,
Lieutenant Augerne, Lieutenant Marchany, Lieutenant Wilson, Ensign
Barnwell, Ensign Arnesby, and upwards of a hundred men wounded. The
loss in the other regiments of the Brigade was also equally great.
In the mean time preliminary articles for a treaty of peace had
been agreed upon at Nimeguen; a cessation of hostilities took place
on the day after the battle; and the Brigade, after encamping a
few months in Flanders, marched to Holland, where it received the
thanks of the States-General for its meritorious services.
The restoration of peace was followed by a reduction in the numbers
of the Dutch Army; but the Prince of Orange, and the States-General
of the United Provinces, were so sensible of the advantages they
had derived from the services of the British troops, that they were
desirous of retaining the six regiments in their service. A new
treaty was concluded on this subject, and the States agreed to send
the regiments to England, whenever the King required them to do so.
[Sidenote: 1679]
[Sidenote: 1680]
Colonel Wisely's regiment was marched to Grave, where it was
employed on garrison duty four years; and in 1680, its Colonel
having been drowned when on his passage to England, the Colonelcy
was conferred on Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Monk, of Sir Henry
Bellasis' regiment (now Sixth Foot).
[Sidenote: 1684]
Upon the prospect of hostilities with France, in 1684, the regiment
marched from Grave, and was encamped for a short time near
Brussels, and afterwards on the banks of the Dender; but no war
breaking out, it proceeded into quarters at Mechlin.
[Sidenote: 1685]
In the succeeding year the death of King Charles II. and the
accession of James II., a professed Papist, being followed by a
rebellion in Scotland, headed by the Earl of Argyle, and another in
England, headed by the Duke of Monmouth, the six British regiments
were applied for by the King, and they were accordingly embarked
for England under the command of the following officers:--
{ Colonel Thomas Monk,--now Fifth Foot.
Three English { Colonel Sir Henry Bellasis,--now Sixth Foot.
Regiments. { Colonel Alexander Cannon,--afterwards disbanded.
{ Colonel Kirkpatrick.
Three Scots { Colonel Sir Alexander Colyear.
Regiments. { Colonel Hugh Mackay.
The three Scots regiments were, in the first instance, ordered for
Scotland, but the rebellion in the North having been suppressed,
they landed at Gravesend on the 30th of June, 1685, and having
been reviewed on Blackheath by the King, marched through London
towards the West.[6] The three English regiments landed a few days
afterwards; but the rebel army having been defeated at Sedgemoor,
on the 6th of July, they encamped on Blackheath, and afterwards
on Hounslow Heath, where the Brigade was assembled and reviewed
by his Majesty, and the efficiency, discipline, and appearance of
the several corps, excited universal admiration.[7] The rebellion
having been suppressed, the six regiments returned to Holland, and
were again employed in garrison duty. The three English regiments
were on the English establishment from the 5th of June, to the 3rd
of August, 1685, and the Scots' regiments a few days longer.
[Sidenote: 1686]
[Sidenote: 1687]
The arbitrary proceedings of King James, with his advances towards
the subversion of the Protestant religion, occasioned much anxiety
to the Prince of Orange, who was married to the presumptive
heiress to the throne; at the same time, the King was jealous of
the attachment of the nation to his son-in-law, and in 1687 his
Majesty demanded the return of the British regiments in the Dutch
service. The States-General, in concert with the Prince, resolved
not to part with these favourite corps, for whose services they
expected soon to have urgent occasion; at the same time they laid
no constraint upon the officers, but allowed them either to remain
in Holland or to return to England, at their own free choice. Out
of two hundred and forty officers,[8] only sixty[9] embraced the
latter alternative; the rest bound themselves "to stand by and
defend the Prince of Orange against all persons whatsoever."
[Sidenote: 1688]
[Sidenote: 1689]
The colonelcy of the regiment having become vacant by the death
of Colonel Monk, it was conferred by the Prince of Orange on
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Tollemache,[10] formerly of the
Coldstream Guards.
The violent proceedings of the British Court at length occasioned
many of the nobility to solicit the Prince of Orange to come with
an armed force to their aid; and as the fate of all the other
Protestant States in Europe appeared to depend on the preservation
of Great Britain from Papal domination, the Prince and the
States-General acquiesced. Thus the six British regiments had the
honourable and glorious privilege of engaging in an enterprise
for the deliverance of their native land from the attempts to
establish Popish ascendancy, and the consequent chances of civil
war. On receiving positive advice of the preparations in Holland,
"the King was speechless, and, as it were, thunderstruck. The airy
castle of a dispensing arbitrary power raised by the magic spells
of jesuitical councils vanished away in a moment, and the deluded
monarch, freed from his inchantment by the approach of the Prince
of Orange, found himself on the brink of a precipice, whilst all
his flatterers stood amazed and confounded."[11] The King at length
assembled an army of about 30,000 men, and sent Lord Dartmouth to
sea with the fleet.
[Illustration: FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT (NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS)
1688.]
The Prince of Orange's army, consisting of about 15,000 men, of
which "the most formidable were the six British regiments,"[12]
put to sea, after some delay from tempestuous weather, on the 1st
of November, 1688; "the trumpets sounding, the hautboys playing,
the soldiers and seamen shouting, and a crowd of spectators on the
shore breathing forth their wishes after them."[13] Sailing in
three divisions, the first, consisting of the English and Scots,
commanded by Major-General Mackay, under a red flag; the second,
being the Prince's Guards and the Brandenburgers, commanded by
Count Solms, under a white flag; and the Dutch with a corps of
French Protestants, commanded by the Count of Nassau, under a blue
flag: they passed triumphantly through the British Channel and
landed on the Devonshire coast on the 5th of November. Colonel
Tollemache's regiment (the Fifth) landed at Brixham key, two miles
from Dartmouth, from whence it marched to Exeter and afterwards to
Honiton, where, on the night of the 13th, it was joined by a number
of men of the Earl of Oxford's and Duke of St. Alban's regiments
of horse, and of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons, who had quitted
the service of King James to espouse the national cause. These
desertions were followed by others of a more important character;
and King James, discovering that his army would not be subservient
to his designs against the kingdom, fled to France, William and
Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange, were solicited to ascend
the throne; and thus the Revolution was happily effected without
that sacrifice of human life which such events usually occasion.
Colonel Tollemache's regiment had, in the mean time, marched to the
vicinity of London, and it afterwards proceeded into quarters in
the western counties. It was now permanently placed on the English
establishment, and taking date from the 5th of June, 1685, the day
on which it first received pay from the British crown, as before
stated, it obtained rank as FIFTH REGIMENT OF FOOT in the British
Line.
Colonel Tollemache having been promoted to the command of the
Coldstream Guards, the Colonelcy of the FIFTH was conferred on
Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Lloyd, by commission dated the 1st of
May, 1689; and in the following month the regiment marched from the
west of England for London, and was quartered in Southwark until
October, when it embarked at Deptford and Greenwich for Plymouth,
and in December marched into Cornwall, with detached companies in
Devonshire.
[Sidenote: 1690]
In the mean time Ireland had become the seat of war, and King James
was at the head of the Roman Catholics, and a French auxiliary
force, in that kingdom, while the Duke of Schomberg commanded the
Irish Protestants and English troops; and in the spring of 1690
the FIFTH FOOT was ordered thither. The regiment, accordingly,
proceeded to Bristol, where it embarked; and having landed at
Belfast on the 20th of April, marched to Lisburn, and encamped
near the banks of the Lagan until the 9th June, when it proceeded
to Armagh and erected its tents on the undulating grounds in that
neighbourhood, where an encampment was formed of four regiments of
English infantry, with three regiments of Danish horse and eight of
foot.
King William having arrived in Ireland, the regiment marched to
Dundalk, where the army was assembled; and on the 1st of July
the enemy was attacked in his position on the banks of the river
_Boyne_. The FIFTH was in Brigadier-General Trelawny's brigade, and
by its gallant conduct it contributed to the signal victory gained
on this occasion. The enemy evacuated Dublin a few days after the
battle, when the regiment was ordered to proceed thither, and it
remained in garrison in that city during the remainder of the
campaign.
[Sidenote: 1691]
The regiment left Dublin in the early part of 1691, and in April
it was stationed at Mountmelick. The troops quartered in that
neighbourhood were frequently disturbed by bands of armed Roman
Catholic peasantry, called _Rapparees_, who concealed themselves in
the day-time, and at night prowled about the country, committing
every description of depredation: to check these proceedings, a
detachment of 200 men of the FIFTH, commanded by Major Rider,
with 100 men of Lord George Hamilton's regiment, and 50 troopers
of Colonel Byerley's Horse,--now 6th Dragoon Guards,--the whole
commanded by Major Wood,[14] marched out of Mountmelick at nine
o'clock on the evening of the 4th of May, and, dividing themselves
into several small parties, they traversed the woods and bogs for
several miles, frequently encountering lurking parties of the
enemy, whom they attacked, killing seventy men and capturing a
quantity of cattle, which Major Wood sent to Mountmelick under a
guard of thirty men. The remainder continued their search until
about ten o'clock on the following day, when Major Wood, with one
party of 34 horsemen, and 30 foot, discovered two battalions of
the enemy's regular army of about 400 men each, marching silently
between the wood and mountains, not far from _Castle-Cuff_; at the
same time the enemy espied Major Wood and his little detachment.
The English, with a noble bearing and audacity, formed up in a
ploughed field to oppose this formidable host, and the Irish
instantly sent forward their grenadiers to commence the attack, but
perceiving the undaunted countenance of the detachment, they halted
at a distance. A sharp firing was at this instant heard beyond the
forest, and Major Wood, apprehending that the party with the cattle
was attacked, proceeded to its assistance; but Lieutenant Ellis and
the thirty foot, behaved like valiant men; and, having repulsed a
superior force, effected their retreat with the booty. The firing
had brought a detachment of 80 men of the FIFTH from the opposite
side of the forest, and Major Wood, having now 34 horsemen and 110
foot with him, resolved, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers,
to attack the enemy's column. He accordingly divided his foot
into two parties, and directed them to attack the enemy in front,
while he himself with the horse made a short compass to gain the
enemy's rear. This gallant little band, advancing boldly against
the enemy's masses, commenced the attack with a fury and resolution
which the Irish could not withstand, and they attempted to retreat;
but at that moment Major Wood with his thirty-four troopers came
galloping from amongst the trees and charged the flank of the
column with admirable courage and resolution; the heavy horse,
breaking through the ranks, trampled down the Irish in a terrible
manner. The column was now become a confused rabble, scattered in
wild disorder, and cut down by the English horsemen on every side;
while the English foot, slinging their muskets and drawing their
swords, joined in the pursuit and chased the enemy a considerable
distance. One hundred and fifty of the Irish were killed on
the spot; and 1 major, 5 captains, 9 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 1
adjutant, 1 surgeon, 6 serjeants, 17 corporals, 3 drummers, and 82
private men, were made prisoners; 150 muskets were also collected,
which the Irish had thrown away to facilitate their flight. "And
all this was done by 110 of our foot and 34 horse. With the foot
were Major Rider, Captain Nenny, Captain Dixey, Lieutenant Barton,
and Ensign Russel. With the horse, were Cornet Jocelyn, Cornet
Hasleton, and Adjutant Robinson, with Quarter-masters Davies and
Cadford; who all, both horse and foot, behaved extremely well, and
with the loss only of one corporal killed, and Adjutant Robinson,
with two foot soldiers and one trooper, wounded[15]."
On the 12th of May, another party of the regiment was out scouring
the woods, when 18 Rapparees were killed and several made prisoners.
In June, the FIFTH advanced with the army to _Athlone_, and took
part in the siege, which was commenced on the 19th of that month:
on the 30th the Grenadier company formed part of the storming party
commanded by Major-General Mackay. The attack was made at six in
the evening, when the forlorn hope, consisting of Captain Sandys,
with 2 Lieutenants and 60 Grenadiers, all in armour, entered
the Shannon, which was breast high, under a sharp fire, and were
followed by the remainder of the storming party, who passed, some
at the bridge of boats, and others by planks laid across the broken
arches of the stone bridge. The party, having gained the opposite
shore, threw forward a shower of hand-grenades, which put the
Irish in confusion; then gallantly ascending the breaches forced
their way through every obstacle, and in less than half an hour
were masters of the town, with the loss of only 12 men killed, and
5 officers with 30 men wounded; but the enemy had about 500 men
killed. Colonel Lloyd was appointed Governor of Athlone, and when
the army advanced, the FIFTH, and Lieutenant-General Douglas's
regiments, were left in garrison; and the battering train was left
in their charge.
After the battle of Aghrim, when the army was about to besiege
_Limerick_, the FIFTH, and a party of Militia, were ordered to
advance with the heavy artillery; they, accordingly, left Athlone
on the 12th of August, and joined the army at Cariganless on the
16th. The siege was commenced a few days afterwards, and the FIFTH
was actively employed until the surrender of the place on the 3rd
of October. This conquest terminated the war in Ireland, and the
regiment, being immediately ordered to embark for England, landed
at Highlake, near Chester, on the 29th of December, from whence
it marched to Nottingham, Derby, and other inland towns, where it
commenced recruiting its numbers.
[Sidenote: 1692]
Three weeks, however, only elapsed before it was ordered to march
to London, where it remained but a few days, and towards the end of
February 1692 embarked for Flanders to join the army of the Allies,
who were engaged in a war with France. The regiment was scarcely
placed in cantonments in West Flanders, when the King of France
assembled about 20,000 men near La Hogue, and ordered his fleet to
prepare to convey them to England, with the view of replacing King
James on the throne; the Second, FIFTH, and Fourteenth regiments
of Foot were consequently ordered to return: and these corps,
having landed at Greenwich in the early part of May, were stationed
along the southern coast. In the mean time the British and Dutch
fleets had put to sea, and while England and France were gazing,
in anxious expectation, at these preparations, the French fleet
sustained a decisive defeat off La Hogue, and the alarm of invasion
vanished. The FIFTH continued in extensive cantonments near the
coast until October, when it marched to Portsmouth to perform duty
in that garrison.
[Sidenote: 1693]
During the summer of 1693 the regiment was embarked on board the
fleet, and, proceeding with an expedition to _Martinico_, it
effected a landing, drove the enemy's troops from the coast, and
laid waste several French settlements on that Island. In the autumn
it landed at Portsmouth and marched into cantonments in Berkshire
and Buckinghamshire.
The severe loss sustained this summer by the Allies at the battle
of Landen, occasioned a strong reinforcement to be sent to Flanders
during the winter, and the FIFTH was one of the regiments selected
for foreign service. It accordingly embarked at Greenwich and
Deptford in December, and, after landing at Ostend, marched to
Sluys, a fortified town situated on an arm of the sea, where the
regiment remained several months.
[Sidenote: 1694]
After leaving Sluys in the middle of May, 1694, the regiment
pitched its tents on the levels near Ghent, and afterwards at
Tirlemont in South Brabant, forming part of the army commanded by
King William III. in person. On the 15th of June it was detached,
with other corps, to take post near the Abbey of Lenthen. During
the subsequent part of the campaign it was employed in several
military operations, and in the autumn marched into barracks
at Bruges. The death of its Colonel having taken place on the
26th of August, his Majesty conferred the vacant Colonelcy on
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Fairfax, by commission dated the 6th of
November, 1694.
[Sidenote: 1695]
After remaining in garrison at Bruges until the 25th of May, 1695,
the FIFTH took the field and was encamped a short time on the
verdant plains near the river Lys; and when King William undertook
the siege of the strong fortress of _Namur_, the regiment formed
part of the covering army commanded by the Prince of Vaudemont.
While the King was carrying on the siege, a French force of
superior numbers, commanded by Marshal Villeroy, advanced to attack
the covering army. On the evening of the 14th of July the Allies
were formed in order of battle; the immense columns of the enemy
were seen in the open grounds in their front, and the hostile
armies passed the night under arms, expecting to engage at the
break of day; at the same time the French had detached a division
under Monsieur de Montal to turn the right flank of the allied
army. This occasioned the Prince to order a retreat, which he
masked with excellent judgment: the cavalry advancing to the front,
the dragoons dismounting and forming on foot; while the artillery,
and infantry with their pikes trailed, quietly withdrew. The enemy,
anticipating success, prepared for the attack; but in a moment, the
British dragoons, retiring a few paces, mounted their horses, and
when the enemy thought to have commenced the battle, the skeleton
squadrons withdrew; presenting to the surprised French the magic
spectacle of what appeared to be an army vanishing out of sight.
The enemy's cavalry galloped forward in pursuit; but the Allies
continued their retreat in good order, and at six o'clock on the
morning of the 16th were in position in front of Ghent.
The FIFTH was afterwards engaged in a series of manœuvres for
the preservation of the maritime towns of Flanders, and for the
protection of the troops before Namur. In the early part of August
it was encamped between Genappe and Waterloo, and subsequently
before Namur, which capitulated on the 22nd of August. From Namur
the regiment marched to Nieuport, and encamped on the sand-hills
near that town; and, remaining in the field until late in the
season, when the weather was particularly wet and cold, the men
were ordered to build straw huts; but towards the end of October
they marched to Bruges.
[Sidenote: 1696]
On the 12th of May, 1696, the regiment marched out of the barracks
at Bruges, and encamped behind the banks of the canal near the
town. During the campaign of this year its services were limited
to the protection of Ghent and Bruges from an attack which the
French commanders made several demonstrations of a design of making
on these towns; and it passed the winter in its former station at
Bruges.
[Sidenote: 1697]
From Bruges, the regiment marched, in the spring of 1697, to
Brussels; and on the 12th of April proceeded through the forest of
Soigne and pitched its tents near the village of Waterloo, where
an encampment was formed of twelve regiments of infantry under
the Count de Noyelles. The FIFTH was subsequently employed in a
series of defensive operations until September, when the war was
terminated by the treaty of Ryswick; and, being ordered to return
to England immediately afterwards, it landed in December,--eight
companies at Greenwich and two at Dover.
[Sidenote: 1698]
The regiment remained but a short time in England before it was
ordered to proceed to Chester, where it embarked for Ireland, and
in August, 1698, it arrived at Dublin.
[Sidenote: 1704]